Turn your coffee into free downloads

Like many a city girl, I can often be found in Starbucks picking up a latte to go or hoovering up one of their muffins. But did you know that as well as being able to pick up a Mocha at your local Starbucks, you can also get your mitts on some exciting downloads? What's more, they're all free! Yes, you read that - Starbucks are giving something away for nothing!

Every week Starbucks offers a fabulous free download from iTunes. It couldn't be easier to grab yourself a download on the go either. Just pop into your local store and pick up a free app card featuring their download of the week. Then, just enter the redemption code into iTunes and voila, you're the proud owner of a new app.

I love it as it's a great way to try out new music, games or even books without spending a penny. My favourites so far are a great little game called Lost Winds (which I would never have downloaded), plus the latest tunes from Professor Green (my guilty pleasure crush!) and Emelie Sandé.

A new download is available each Monday - enjoy!

The app that will make you look gorgeous!

I like make-up. Actually, that's an understatement, I adore make-up. Not for me, a small cosmetic bag to keep my goodies in. No, I have a professional make-up box. Prior to that, I had a toolbox so I have downsized a little over the years.

I've always liked experimenting with my looks and am often first in the queue for the latest must-buy colour or brand, however, like most women I'm also guilty of getting stuck in a rut - mine is a smokey-eye-nude-lip-rut. Therefore, I was really pleased to discover the new The Colour Genius app from L'Oreal.

The idea behind this app is that you take a snap of what you're wearing and then L'Oreal will suggest some make-up colours to either match, blend or clash with your total look.

L'Oreal's suggestions for my outfit

As with all free apps, I wasn't sure how good it was going to be, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Firstly, I never really think about matching my outfit colours to my shades of make-up, but secondly, it really did give me some new ideas on how to use my my rather large cosmetics collection.

I love the idea that you can clash or blend - it would be a great app to use on a girl's night out when you're getting ready with your mates. Admittedly, it may run out of colourways but hopefully L'Oreal will add their new season shades when they're released.

Verdict: A fun way of getting more out of your make-up. The only downside is the colours, which are all  L'Oreal specific, but if you've got an extensive make-up collection like me, you'll be able to find something similar. A danger though for the purse...

The app that will calm you down

Hello blogging world! It's been a while since I've blogged - life's events took over - but I'm back now with a renewed passion. Unfortunately I was recently involved in a very horrible car crash but instead of letting it get me down, I'm choosing to see that silver lining and am embracing all my passions in life. I may be a geek but the digital world and blogging is definitely one of those so I'll be back posting here with a vengeance!

Due to my nasty accident, I've recently come across an app, which I swear has saved my sanity. Anyone who has been through a traumatic event will tell you that the mental scars as just as bad, if not worse, as the physical scars. Flashbacks knock you sideways and appear at any moment and things fall apart just like that.

My problem at the moment is not being able to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see the crash happening in slow motion. I've tried sleeping tables, I've tried watching crap films (yes, even Eyes Wide Shut didn't send me into a coma) but nothing really worked. Until I found this fabulous app.

A must-download if you seek inner calm

The Simply Being app guides you through the meditation process and helps you try and block out the inner and outer noise, while you try and find peace. Even if you're a total meditation novice, this app will definitely calm you down and help silence whatever is shouting out loudest. After using it four or five times, I felt much calmer and able to sleep without the help of tablets or bad Tom Cruise movies.

Verdict: It's meditation by numbers and although it may not turn you into Dalai Lama overnight, I guarantee it will help you find some peace in this busy and hectic world!

The app that will make your baby sleep*

When I got my iPhone towards the end of my pregnancy, I thought it would be useful to keep in touch with all my mates while I was ensconced in the house with newborn babba on my hipo. What I didn’t realise is that it would be a total life-saver once said baby had arrived.

I thought that apps could allow me do my banking while on the move, amuse me in those early hours of the morning while feeding baby, help me keep connected with my friends. I didn’t realise that there were such a wealth of baby-related apps out there.

Anyone who has had a baby knows that those early months are hell – mainly because you don’t get much sleep. Babies have gone from being cocooned in the comfort of the womb to being in this noisy, foreign place and that makes it difficult for them to sleep.

We struggled endlessly with our little man. It didn’t help that he had reflux, a condtion, which meant he didn’t like lying on his back, but we just couldn’t figure out why he wouldn’t sleep. That’s when I stumbled across the Baby Sleeping Wonder app - or Einschlafwunder in its native German (ooo, it trips off the tongue...)

It’s a really simple app, which basically allows you to choose various white noises to help your baby to sleep. Whether you choose a hairdryer or waves, the background noise supposedly soothes baby to sleep. It must work as Wayne Rooney still likes to sleep with the hoover on – unless that is of course some other deep-seated festish he has. You can also add in a heartbeat, which makes the baby feel like it’s back in the womb. 

You could go out and buy a white noise CD but the bonus with this app is that it has a timer and at the end of the allotted time, it fades out and stops on its own, gradually reducing the noise until there is total quiet.

It might not work for every baby but it certainly helped ours get some sleep – and both myself and my husband found the noise quite soothing as well!

Verdict: It’s simple to use and it may well help your baby sleep, which is worth its weight in gold. The fact that it’s on your iPhone means you can also use it when you’re out and about or on holiday, which is definitely a bonus over those white noise CDs. Download the Baby Sleeping Wonder app for free now and hopefully you’ll get some much-needed sleep.*

*Well, probably