app – Bri Alys, LLC

iPhone Clutter

Published on February 2019 by BriAlys

Does your phone look like this? Did you know iPhone clutter is a real thing? I can’t imagine how people function with all the extra “stuff” on page 1, page 2, page 3 …. 😳🤔

There are a couple of principles I operate by phone by: 1) No clutter and 2) My iPhone will not dictate my actions. How does this work you might ask? First, I don’t keep apps on my phone that I don’t regularly use (the Internet icon still works for one-off tasks) and secondly, alerts/notifications/badges are kept to a BARE minimum. I don’t want to pick up my phone and be given “directives” (i.e. check your email, respond to this notification or that notification). There are a couple I do allow: phone rings (obviously) and calendar alerts (THAT’s IT! no, not even text messages!) Note: My default response for all notifications is “No”. This is important because if I’m bored and pick up my phone, I get to decide what to do (i.e. read a book, watch a video, check my email).

My main page is kept very simple and each app is intentionally placed with the things I want to encourage myself to do. Some are entertainment-related, most are not. You’ll notice a simple black background (makes it easier to identify apps) and NO directives. These are all applications I use on a daily basis so they warrant “home screen” placement. Please note, it’s not full…. this is intentional. Similarly, my lock screen is a simple white background. I can easily see the time and date which is usually what I need to see quickly (if I’m not wearing my Apple watch). Another screen I use often is widgets (swipe left). My chosen info is weather, calendar and activity.

HOW TO TURN OFF IPHONE NOTIFICATIONS

Now, I have exactly two screens of apps to flip through. The main page above and a second page with nice to have apps that I do use pretty frequently. These apps are placed into folders to further reduce clutter. I intentionally made the image below as big as possible so you can see the “no clutter” principle still being applied to this page…

It’s almost Spring – start your cleaning routine by decluttering your phone!

Social Bucket List

Published on June 2016June 2016 by BriAlys

“Most people only travel a few times a year 😞, but we talk 👭 and read 📚 and dream 💤 about it all the time 🙋🏽. We realized that every dinner, 🍝 Instagram feed 📷 and glossy mag 📰 is full of inspiration💡, but it all tends to be lost 👀 in space 🚀 when we finally stand there at the airport. ✈️”

Soo very true! Now there’s an app, Soon, that helps you keep track of all the cool places you want see or things you want to try or do! Think of it as your personal social bucket list, stored right on your phone (iOS only). You can add books, movies, restaurants and more!

Learn more by watching Soon in action below. Happy Sooning (?) !

quote mashable, picture and video techcrunch

Invest with Acorns

Published on April 2016April 2016 by BriAlys

Investing is complicated. So much so that many people don’t even bother. Acorns, a mobile investment app can help! Essentially, every time you swipe your card (debit or credit), Acorns rounds up to the nearest dollar value and automatically invests the change for you! The money goes into a separate account that is completely under your control, meaning you can make deposits or withdrawals at any time. The fees are super simple to understand/digest: $1 per month (or $12/year) for accounts less than $5,000, 0.25% for accounts more than $5,000. Student accounts are free and every Acorns account is insured up to $500,000 for fraud.

To get started, sign up here. Acorns also has a money blog, Grow Magazine.

Private Meeting Space

Published on January 2016January 2016 by BriAlys

Sometimes when you’re traveling (or even at home) you want to find a private meeting space. Maybe you’ve got an interview lined up or you want a quite space to get some work done. Sometimes you just want a new environment… Welp, there’s an app for that!

The Bizly app (iOS) allows users to book private meeting space at some of the world’s best hotels with just the swipe of a finger. The benefit for travelers, freelancers and other remote workers is obvious, but the participating hotels win big, too. A partnership with Bizly allows otherwise vacant inventory to generate revenue, with minimal impact on day-to-day operations. (RoadWarriorVoices)

This is my first time learning about this company and while the service sounds intriguing, I am ore drawned to Bizly’s blog (and have already bookmarked it to add to my daily reading list). Check out a few of my favorite articles below.

YOU ARE an executive OF YOUR OWN LIFE, take advantage of the tips below

Black Friday in July

Published on July 2015July 2015 by BriAlys

Get ready to shop until you drop on July 15th! Last week, Amazon announced plans to hold Amazon Prime Day. “Prime members can shop exclusive deals from electronics, toys, video games, movies, clothing, patio, lawn and garden, sports and outdoor items and more.” Amazon’s Prime membership costs $99/year but has lots of benefits, described here and they even offer a free 30-day trial for the service in case you want to “try before you buy”. I’ve told you before about the benefits of automating purchases of mundane items like toilet paper, laundry detergent, deodorant etc. to simplify your life (see Amazon Subscribe & Save). Now is as good a time as any to get in on the action! Think of this day as Black Friday in July (it also includes free shipping), mainly because Wal-Mart is also joining the party and is introducing thousands of exclusive discounts for online purchases on the very same day.

So here’s a tip if you’re not into Amazon… take FULL advantage of Wal-Marts price match policy ANY DAY of the year, including on Amazon Prime Day. The policy can be found on the retailer’s website, guarantee here. You have a few options:

Contact Wal-Mart customer care at 1-800-966-6546 before you make your purchase online
Drag yourself into the store and show the cashier the sales price on Amazon’s website
Purchase your item in-store, or online as normal, then use Wal-Mart’s Savings Catcher app and wait for the price to be matched (Savings Catcher). If you are buying a large item it’s always a good idea to take screen shots (item #, price) to have proof, just in case this process fails.

I play this price matching card ALL THE TIME and literally just got $50 refunded to me this morning from Anthropologie and J. Crew because of a little diligence (see also Price Match). This is the reason I typically buy things I want, even if they are not on sale. More likely than not, the item will go on sale – no need to wait until then as your size/color may not be available. I also ALWAYS setup price alerts on the Shop Style app (iOS, Android) at ALL stores offering the exact same item so that I don’t have to keep checking each website to see if the price has changed. If you do not have this app, GET IT NOW!!!

Happy shopping! (video below)

Here are a few of the other items Amazon is teasing:

Fire TV Stick $15 off
Kindle, $30 off
Fire HD 7, $60 off
Fire HD 7 Kids Edition, $60 off
40-inch 1080p LED TV, $115
A “brand-name 32-inch Smart HDTV” for under $200
50-inch 4K TV bundle, under $1000
Bose headphones at the lowest price ever on Amazon
Over 50% off two Nikon COOLPIX cameras
“Highly rated” binoculars, under $120
Two security camera-kits, $279.99
K’NEX 2-in-1 Ferris Wheel Building Set (Amazon Exclusive), $35.99
K’NEX Crossfire Chaos Roller Coaster Building Set (Amazon Exclusive), $23.99
Playskool Heroes Transformers Rescue Bots Optimus Prime Figure (Amazon Exclusive), $9.99
iRobot Roomba Pet Vacuum Cleaning Robot, under $300
Husqvarna mower, under $300
40 lightning deals on DVDs up to 75% off
Up to 50% off any of the Harry Potter books
Save more than 70% on the Divergent Series Complete Box Set of books
Save up to 70% on select kitchen products from top brands like Cuisinart, KitchenAid, Foodsaver and Thermos
Save up to 50% on select tools for the DIY auto enthusiast
Connected Car and Scan Tool products starting at 60% off
Road-trip-ready automotive products starting at 50% off
Save more than 50% on Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain
30 percent off some clothing, shoes, jewelry, and watches
60 percent off Amazon Elements Baby Wipes with code ELEMENTS60
Free luxury beauty sample box with $50 purchase of luxury beauty products, with promo code LUXSAMPLES
Buy an Amazon.com Gift Card multipack, get $10 in Amazon.com promotional credit
25% bonus Amazon Coins when you buy 5,000 or 10,000 Amazon Coins