{ASTRiD} the octopus

Have you ever found yourself completely immersed in a giant to-do list that has been marked out, re-ordered, numbered at least 3 times and re-added multiple times, only to be utterly and totally confused about what it is you're supposed to accomplish?  Well, this girl has!

Are you an avid list-maker and find that you have multiple lists for multiple occasions or for multiple people?  Well, this girl is!

Have you downloaded about 50 different apps on your phone to possibly help make your list-making a little easier to do and follow, only to discover that you try so hard to have the app fit into your life when in fact it doesn't and you only use it for a few days until it gets forgotten about again?  Well, this girl has!  (ignore the fact that this question may, in fact, be a run-on sentence..just go with it)

I've FINALLY found a solution! 

That's right!  I'm completely OVER not knowing what needs to be done when and going through list after list to determine if it's even a valid list anymore or if it's something I've already completed.  I'll say it again, I'm so done with that mess!  Welcome, Astrid!  

A few weeks ago, the whole family was at my sister's apartment for some family bonding, which was glorious!  And if you haven't played Splosion Man for the Xbox yet, I'd highly recommend it, especially for those non-video gamers that get confused which button is A, B, X, Y, triggers and back buttons...yeah, you get my point.  This game is super easy and super fun!  But, back to the reason for this post.  The parentals left to head back home, so it was just the four of us playing games (my sister, husband, brother, and myself).  I fell asleep at some point, while my sister was out and while my husband and brother fought it out playing Mortal Kombat.  I wake up to peace and quiet and only my sister at home.  It's roughly 2AM at this point.  Although I'm extremely exhausted and want nothing more than to go back to sleep, I don't.  My sister and I get to talking, and at some point, actually agree to go to sleep, but we continue talking, as always, and before we know it, it's 4AM.  Cue cell phones.  My sister has an Android phone, and apparently has had the Astrid app for a while now.  She was playing around with the options and her to-do lists, as we were planning on running errands the next day - we needed to know what needed to be done!  So, while this is taking place, she discovers (or remembers...) that you can share a list with someone, as several things on the list were meant for us both anyway.  She sent me an invite that went to my email, and voila!  I created a username and password, downloaded the app, and was on my way to greatness!  

Astrid is an octopus, which I found highly amusing obviously.  The icon on my home screen is literally, an octopus.  A pink, smiling octopus with a check mark and a blue border.  

At least it catches my attention, which might, quite possibly, be the point.  But anyway, Astrid has many great features!  My sister immediately created a new list and 'shared' it with me.  It's called 'Seesters' haha.  I love it!  I can add a task to our shared list and assign it to her, in which case her beautiful picture appears next to the task name.  It's fabulous!  You can also comment on tasks, or on the shared list in general.  It's amazing!  It's super easy, too.  Here are some of the awesome features of this app: 

My Astrid 'Home'

1. Create a Task - You can choose who to assign the task to (without sharing a list with them) or choose yourself if it's just for you, choose the due date and time, whether the task repeats and if so, how often, decide if you want to add it to your main calendar with reminder, if you want a reminder, pick the priority (high, medium, low, none), choose which lists to put the task under (it can be one, or two, or three, or four, or none...), add a description, and then decide if you want to share it with friends or not, via email, facebook, or twitter - this says 'invite advice an support from friends' (hey, it keeps you accountable!)
2. Voice Enabled - You can easily add a new task from any screen, and this function is voice enabled!  Can you say score!?
3.   Hide Task - You can hide tasks until a specified time.  For example, if you want a task for paying rent on the first of the month that repeats monthly, you may not want to look at it for the entire month, every month.  You'd get used to ignoring it, which isn't good!  You can hide the task until about a week before its due date, at which time you can have paying rent on your mind!  How fabulous (in case you haven't noticed, I enjoy the word 'fabulous')!  
4. Categories - It categorizes your tasks on your main task screen: late, today, this week, and future.  It clearly tells you what you haven't done and what is coming up.  Super clear stuff! 
5. Activity - There is an 'Activity' tab, which lets you view everything kind of in a log, including comments from your shared people on tasks or lists.  This is pretty helpful!  It reminds me kind of like your news feed on Facebook.  
6. Create a New List - You can create a new list!  All you need is the list name, decide if you want to share it with someone or multiple someones, pick a list icon, and the description.  Easy as PIE! 
7. Icons - You can choose whatever icon you want to be displayed next to the list!  Choose an Astrid photo (these are all random pictures of Astrid the octopus with random things like packing boxes, a pencil, food, a rose, on the beach, etc), take a new photo, or choose an existing photo.  That's right, you can have a picture of ANYTHING on your lists.  For example, for our shared Seesters list, we chose a picture of the two of us (rocket science, I know!).  
8.  Quick Lists - In the picture of my Astrid 'home' above this lengthy numbered list, you notice that there is a 'quick list' section.  This is used for those lists you want to quickly access easily.  Let's say you're a crazy list-maker, like myself, and you have about 10 or so lists, you only want to maybe see or access a few of those in a few seconds of opening the app.  For example, I have my 'all' list as well as my 'honey-do's' and 'seesters' lists.  Yes, I have a shared list with my husband and I named it 'Honey-Do's'.  I love it!  It's a much better way to remind him or myself to do something without each other having to text to remind us or what have you.  Other lists, such as a shopping list or home or work list, I do not feel I need to access as easily.  I can scroll down to find these lists when I need them.  
9. People - This is where you can go to view other people that you've shared tasks with; it shows how many tasks they have active and how many completed.  But it does not show what the actual tasks are...for privacy reasons of course! 
10. Checklists - Checklists are pretty rad!  Wow, rad?  Yep, I guess so! These rad checklists are pretty awesome!  They're always there, and it can be anything!  For example, I have a packing checklist, since I always need the same things every time I go home for a weekend!

I know this list got a bit lengthy in discussion, but it's too great not to share!  There are more features to this amazing app, and it's definitely not 'perfect', but I've found that it's been my BFF since it's found its way to my phone.  I now have a pretty, pink, smiley octopus on my home screen, and it's awesome!  I highly recommend it, and if you have any questions, I'm not an expert or anything, but I'll do my best to help out!  :)