While my closet is a mess and my kitchen cabinets are terrifying, I am a total data nerd and I love seeing different aspects of my life organized electronically. Vacuuming is a chore but keeping track of the movies I watch and the music I listen to is a pleasure. Maybe you understand how I feel–you love lists and tagging and maybe you even know what metadata is. Check out some of these tools below and let your inner data nerd shine by keeping track of your media, your beverages, and more! You can also add friends on nearly all the sites and apps below so you can keep track of what you’re all up to and share recommendations.
I’m a bit of an app junkie…
For your books:
Goodreads and LibraryThing are both sites that allow you to catalogue books you’re reading, want to read, or own. You can make lists galore, add all the metadata you want to the records, and group books into shelves or lists. Goodreads even has a handy-dandy free app!
For your movies:
Letterboxd lets you keep track of movies you watch or want to watch. An account on this site is a must-have for film buffs. While Netflix is great for keeping a history of movies you watch, it’s only helpful if you’re watching things they have in their catalogue. Letterboxd’s database is regularly updated so you can add nearly anything to your list–and if they don’t have it in the database yet, you can request that they add it!
For your beer:
Untappd is an app that allows you to “check in” to beers you’re drinking and unlock badges. Its functionality is similar to Foursquare though it’s not location-based. You can rate beers and add breweries to your favorites. My very favorite thing about this app is that, if you use it regularly, you can look back at your history to see what beers you’ve had already and what you liked about them if you’re stuck trying to make a decision at the bar or the liquor store.
For your music:
last.fm is a site that you can integrate with your mp3 player or iTunes application and collects data about the music you listen to. You can use this data to get new recommendations or analyze your listening habits. Last.fm even supports integration with applications like Pandora so you can keep track of music you listen to through those!
For your body:
Period Tracker (This link is to the Android app–there are also paid and free iOS versions) is an app that will track your menstrual cycles and also allow you to enter data and notes about any symptoms you experience. You can also keep track of intimacy with this app, which might sound odd, but of course it’s interesting (and often helpful) to see how your menstrual cycle and your sex life correlate. Another good resource for period tracking is the monthlyinfo site.
Bonus: For your commute!
Since Period Tracker is probably only helpful for ladies, here’s a co-ed suggestion: Waze is an app that integrates GPS mapping with traffic information and helps you cut time off your commute based on reports from fellow Waze users about traffic conditions. You and other app users appear as adorable little icons on the map which is pretty fun!
What are your favorite apps and websites to help you stay organized? Let us know in the comments!
Related: Best iPad apps for Foodies
How to De-Clutter Your Computer
Also by Samantha: Beyond Meat Sweet Potato Hash
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Photo: Samantha Lester
