Awesome organizational tools you haven’t tried yet

For your to-do list

Is the "To Do List" tattoo incredibly professional? No. But when you've got a laundry list of boring tasks, playing around with this silliness might make it a tiny bit more fun. Bonus: Keeping it on your hand will help you get it done.

For those stacks of paper

Receipts keep falling off your husband's bureau. Your great-grandmother's pecan pie recipe is starting to fade. And your file box is overrun with three years of bank statements. Perhaps it's finally time to get a scanner/indexer that will send everything directly to your cloud, so you can send the papers directly to the trash. (Okay, maybe not Mimi's recipe card. Put that in a scrapbook.)

For your overflowing inbox

If you're on the go a lot, you probably check your emails at Starbucks or while sitting through red lights. Sometimes, though, you get a message that requires a more thoughtful reply and you leave it for later. How many times have you actually remembered to go back and reply? Wouldn't it be great if there was an app that would let you flag those emails? Oh, wait...

For everyone's calendars (and grocery requests)

Modern families mean modern schedules. You and your husband both have work trips. Kelsey has soccer practices and Max has band tournaments and a big history test. Those dates might be in each family member's phone but they're not on everyone else's. Cozi lets everyone seamlessly sync their calendars... and remind you when they're almost out of Go-Gurt.

For keeping up with friends

Once you've got your family organized, you're going to need a way to keep up with your friends. Stop saying you'll reconnect and then immediately forgetting. This app is a little bit of Facebook and a little bit of a calendar all in one. The perfect way to make "Hey, we should get coffee soon" a promise and not just an idea.

For all that precious artwork

Anyone else have to force back a cringe when their kid unzips their backpack and promises they painted you a new picture? It's not as if you don't love every single butterfly and fire truck they've made. It's that you're not sure where to keep all of them. There's an app that will save the picture, let you toss the paper and turn Aly's artwork into an iPhone wallpaper or a background on the family computer's desktop.

Ready to start a new life as a more organized lady? Get those awesome apps and gadgets and you'll be well on your way. If you think we missed a good one, tell us below.

For all those Starbucks straw wrappers

Our favorite method for straw wrappers? We ball and toss them to the floor, then clean them all out once a week/month or so. There's a really simple solution for small trash in the car, though. Try a grocery bag inside a plastic cereal container. Small items can fit through the pour spout.

For drinks, snacks and road trip entertainment

There are never enough cup holders in our cars. Not even for short commutes. Add in a long drive with both kids and things get real cramped, real fast. Our solution: a center console unit like this one that holds cups and keeps extra drinks cool for later.

For once you arrive

After the long journey, there's still a lot that can go wrong: Boredom and misdirection come to mind immediately, right? An app that can search nearby restaurants and attractions or just pull up a new, more user-friendly map is exactly what you need when traveling... especially with kids.

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