You know the age-old saying, “take time to stop and smell the roses”? More often than not, I forget to do just that. I’m always rushing here or there, always trying to cross off something on my (what seems like never-ending) mental to-do list. I’m extremely type A, •basically everything on this list describes me• I like to get in and get things done which is why these three apps rank super high in my book. They save me time and actual money and time IS money so it’s like…just download them already.
- PrettyQuick. Oh PrettyQuick, I love you. I never was one to regularly book my manicures. I’d say I only got them a few times a year. I love giving myself manicures but that changed after I downloaded PrettyQuick, now I’m getting manicures several times per month. Best features of the app:
- Book Beauty – Nails, Hair, Massage, Waxing – straight through the app. They will make the appointment for you and send you email and text reminders so you don’t forget.
- No need to pay or even tip when you’re done – it’s all handled by PrettyQuick. You put your card number in when you sign up and never need to worry about it again.
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If you book at least once a month, you automatically get 20% off your services on all Sunday-Wednesday appointments. My $35 no-chip manicures are now only $28.
- After 8 completed appointments, you get a $15 credit.
- Use my promo code to get $15 in credit for your first appointment! Code: LIZZIE
- Download PRETTYQUICK (App Store)
My latest no-chip manicure.
- Waze. Pronounced *WAYS* not *WAH-ZAY* like I used to call it ;). EVERY driver needs this app. My favorite features:
- It gets you where you need to be using the fastest route possible. Because it collects its users’ data in real-time, it senses traffic patterns and avoids them at all costs.
- Users can pin hazards like accidents, road blocks, etc. so if you are in a jam, you can scroll up the expressway or street to see what is causing all the ruckus.
- It alerts you while driving saying things like “Police reported ahead” or “Pothole reported ahead” or “Slow down, red light camera reported ahead.”
- You can share your ETA with other users as well as see where your friends are at in their journey. This is helpful if I’m waiting for someone to pick me up or vice versa.
- You can program in certain addresses you visit often for quick navigation. I have “Home” and “Work” saved and in the morning when I pull it up, it prompts me as soon as I open the app, “Are you going to work?” and all I have to do is click one button. It also draws from information in your Google calendar so if you have a meeting, it will pull up the address and say, are you going to “ADDRESS”?
- You can choose celebrity voices to direct you. They had Arnold Schwarzenegger on there for awhile and I was really sad when he went away. He used to say “You’ve arrived at your destination. Hasta la vista, baby.” I miss him. Apparently, Stephen Colbert, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Neil Patrick Harris are coming to the app soon.
- DOWNLOAD WAZE (App Store)
- Reserve. An app that makes VIP reservations for you. I used this for the first time a few weeks ago at Dusek’s before a show at Thalia Hall. Having never been there before and never having used the app before, I had no expectations. Because I made my reservation through Reserve, my experience couldn’t have been better. There was a long line of people waiting for tables, we walked up and sat right down. Here’s what else I liked:
- There are actually good restaurants on here! Places like The Dawson, The Boarding House, Lula Cafe, bellyQ, to name a few.
- You aren’t limited to only a few reservation slots like Open Table. When you request the date and time you’d like to dine, Reserve contacts the restaurant for you and texts/emails you shortly thereafter to confirm.
- You get treated like an ultimate VIP by the front-of-the-house staff and receive added perks for dining. For us, we got a complimentary round of drinks soon after we sat down.
- You don’t have to wait for the server to bring you a check when you’re done. Reserve takes care of making sure your bill is paid along with a 20% tip. This was especially awesome for us since we were at Dusek’s and wanted to go straight up to the show as soon as we were done eating.
- You can split the bill easily with friends. No more I’ll “Quickpay” or “Venmo” you, it’s done right then and there which is especially great for large groups.
- With this promo code: XKLRRU, you get $20 of your first dining experience. And when you refer a friend who completes a reservation, you get a $20 credit and they get $20 off their first dining experience.
- DOWNLOAD RESERVE (App Store)
Our table at Dusek’s
