Category: favorite

Invisible Project Feature

Posted on by Grayson

invisible project feature

Last year, I was lucky enough to write up a piece for the Invisible Project, part of the US Pain Foundation. I had interviewed my former primary care doctor and three amazing people. I was really proud of that piece!

Naturally, when Invisible reached out to ask to do a feature on me this year, I jumped at the chance.

Click here to read it.

PS: Did you know you can get free copies of the Invisible Project magazine? I have a handful at my house, too, that I’d be happy to sign and send. Just ask!

My 5 Favorite Phone Apps

Posted on by Grayson
As a blogger, health activist, and my own boss, I’ve been through a lot of apps on my phone over the years. Not too many actually stay on my phone, or, if they do, stay relevant and frequently used. Needless to say, when an app stays and stays relevant to my life? It’s a big deal.
 
It’s probably no secret to those of you who follow my blog that Buddhify was going to make it onto this list. There are over 80 tracks culminating in over eleven hours of meditation. There are also timers for those of you who are down with meditating sans guided tracks.
One of my favorite things is that there is a ‘pain and illness’ section. I have found the most amazing help via this app when it comes to dealing with my post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and physical illnesses, too.
Available via App Store and Google Play. You can also listen to some tracks via SoundCloud.
This personal assistant app has earned accolades from CNN, Yahoo!, Forbes, and was named to Apple’s App Store Best of 2014. 24me is amazing. It doesn’t just have a calendar, but to-do lists and notes. Plus, you can add in your own photos to rotate at the bottom of the calendar, which is always fun.
The other part that I love? It’ll remind me when I have some free time to accomplish some of the things on my to-do list. When I worked my day job, I didn’t find this useful as my time at work wasn’t necessarily ‘free time,’ if you know what I mean. Working for myself, though? YES.
 
Available via App Store and Google Play.
 
What if a millennial with a love of gifs designed a weather app? It would be Poncho.
Alerts have gifs incorporated into them as well as hilarious scenarios or sayings while also giving you the weather. I don’t even know how to say that it’s cool in words. All I can say is that it keeps me prepared when I’m traveling – especially as it’s in my pull-down on my iPhone like my notifications are.
Available via App Store and Google Play. You can even get updates, though, via email or text. Currently, they only cover the continental United States, though. If you sign up online here, you can easily set your settings AND help me score a pair of sunglasses.
 
Boxed is an easy way to order items in bulk that ship directly to your home. You don’t pay any membership fees and get free shipping with orders over $75. Don’t worry about doing the math, though – Boxed keeps a running total at the top of the app with how close you are to free shipping. And your first order? Free shipping, no matter the cost.
Everything ships within a business day which means little waiting! You also get 1% in cash rewards for each purchase.
They have everything from things for pets to cleaning supplies to home office stuff to grocery and drinks. I’ve really enjoyed how easy it is to order from the app in addition to simply taking things upstairs instead of having to go shopping and then lug it all up.
Boxed is a time and spoon saver, for sure.
Available via App Store and Google Play, but will only work in the lower 48 states.
Camscanner is exactly what it sounds like – a scanner for your phone that utilizes the phone’s camera.
It is vital to the resources I pull and research I do because, let’s face it, writing notes with arthritis sucks.
Really, really badly.
With Camscanner? I just have to scan books in to read later, whiteboards for perfect notes, or photos that are from ye olden days of no digital files.
Available via App Store and Google Play.
These apps, save Boxed (which is newer to me), have all been with me whether I’ve had an Android or iPhone. They work extremely well. The ones that require payment are ones I would gladly pay 100 times over for. Every single one of these apps is integral to my life as a chronic babe who runs my own businesses and travels a lot. I couldn’t imagine my life without them again.
 
What are YOUR favorite apps?