iPad App Love- English POP - VLOG

I'm a big fan of our iPAD. The girls got one from santa this past year...

and it has been a lifesaver! They love to play games together on it..or put on music and have a dance party. I sometimes let sophia play on it during her "quiet time" while sienna naps.

And it has made making dinner a possibility some nights

when I didn't think anything but pb&j's were a possibility.

I've posted about my girls' Favorite iPAD Apps Before...

And I'm excited to add English POPS to the list!

CJ EDUCATIONS, creator of English POPS, saw my girls playing another game they created (Play123) and got in touch with me to see if the girls would like to try out a new app that they just created! It's not available yet..but will be soon! I'll keep you posted on the details because my girls LOVED it.

Here's a video sharing more on the English POP App!

The graphics in the app are so cute! and the music is fun and playful.

There is a series of interactive stories available to download.

Their favorite was the Polar Bear learning to say thank you.. the Hippos saying excuse me.

The ones we tried out all seemed related to manners and learning important words/phrases.

There is a I loved how the words pop up that are being read...

and it's very interactive. It can auto read..or you can record yourself reading the parts!

She had fun making the monkey character tell the story with her voice. :)

What are some of your favorite apps??

This has been the go to one when I let them play on their iPAD.

And our 8 hour car ride monday to grandma and grandpa's is going to be a lot smoother with this new app. I might have packed oreos as bribery as well. ;)

Thanks CJ EDUCATIONS for letting us try out the app early!

Can't wait to hear when it hits itunes!

How to take Better iPhone Photos- My Favorite Apps

My most frequently asked questions via Instagram are

1. "Where is your rug from?" and 2. "What App did you use on this photo??"

(ps. rug from rugsusa.com)

I love taking photos with my iPhone..it's an easy way to capture moments with my kids!

I also love editing photos.. but with how busy life is, I'm really loving some apps that make it quick and easy to make your photos the best they can be.

I'm sure plenty of people have their own favorite apps or photo tips..but here are mine!

Happy to share my phone-photo-taking-tips

AND what I do to my photos before posting to Instagram. :)

Phone Photo Taking Tips: (pretty much the same as regular camera tips)

--Like with your regular camera...the sun is your friend!

We end up all in my bed snuggling or playing a lot..and the lighting is always perfect in there.

Find a spot in your house that is bright and cheery and snap away!

--I snap multiple photos of the same shot. My kids move a lot.

-- STRETCH. You might feel awkward..but stretch that arm out to get you in the photo. You can always crop out an awkward arm. :)

--FOCUS. tap someone's face to focus on or wait for your phone to find the faces.

I'm not patient enough for that. ;) (tapping on the faces also helps with the lighting.. I usually tap the darkest area and let it adjust the light. if it's too bright, tap another area.

--Be Silly. Silly faces and silly voices get the best faces. So make a fool of yourself.

Yay! favorite app time!!

I use my phone's camera to take the pictures.

I then open in After Glow (Now called AfterLight and no longer free)

I love the Captain Filter. I always, brighten, sharpen

and then lower contrast a little to make it more natural.

Lately I've been opening my photos first in Snapseed and doing the drama effect..But not always.

I also use a great app called moreBeaute2 to add a glow. watch out how much you use or else it'll be too blurry! Just a touch does wonders and can make a photo extra dreamy.

I use PicFrame to collage all my photos..except I use AfterLight for the circle frame.

If you have any questions leave a comment! :) 

These editing tools are great for food and home shots too!

Hope this was helpful and have fun!

If you do anything to your photos...brighten them in afterlight!