What a difference a BlackBerry has made in this mom’s life.

Little chimes now pluck me out of whatever fray or fog I’m in, reminding me to pick up Noah at soccer practice or transfer the wash to the dryer before bed. I can email my son’s math teacher or research adolescent acne while killing time at the orthodontist. Heck, the simple fact that I can now keep my grocery list right on my phone is revolutionary: No more scraps of paper with illegible items scrawled all over them. No more forgetting said scraps when I finally get to the supermarket.

And now, life is even sweeter: Vlingo, a foolproof app I just downloaded, lets me dial, email, list and schedule everything with my voice instead of my klutzy thumbs. (A basic version is free.) That means when I use the last drop of dish detergent, I just jump over to my trusty phone, push a button and exclaim “Note to Self: Get Detergent!” Vlingo types it all up like a dutiful social secretary and has my little ol’ shopping list waiting for me when I make my way over to the supermarket.

The only thing I have to remember now is where I put that darned phone!