The Fab Mom On 2: Time-Saving Must-Have Apps For Parents

By Jill Simonian

The end of the school year is near approaching. And for parents, that may mean even busier days with end-of-the-year events and activities.

But with these apps, you can now stay organized without ever leaving the house:

1) Need help with grocery shopping? Get Instacart, an app that shops for produce and groceries and gets them delivered to your door in 1-2 hours in Los Angeles. Here's how it works: you choose your local store and shop via your mobile device. The first delivery is free. All deliveries thereafter are $3.99 if you spend $35 or more. The app beats shopping for milk with restless toddlers in a shopping cart.

2) Need help with carting your kids around? HopSkipDrive is a local car service for kids created by moms with a 15-point certification/training process for drivers. Recruited drivers have 5 years of previous childcare experience and many are moms. The HopSkipDrive team takes several safety measures including fingerprinting drivers, conducting background checks, going on ride-alongs and conducting monthly DMV checks. Also, there is real-time GPS tracking you can see on your phone so you know exactly where your kids are en route. Perfect for families whose kids have conflicting schedules for school and activities.

3) Looking for car-cleaning services that offer house calls? Washos will clean your vehicle in the comfort of your own driveway while you tend to at home matters inside. Choose a time that is convenient for you and no ongoing commitment is required. The car cleaning service starts at $29. The company serves Los Angeles and Orange County.

4) For those with strollers, car seats and high chairs that are caked with food, juice and who knows what else, Tot Squad comes to the rescue! The local business does house calls to clean dirty baby messes in strollers and car seats. They are headquartered in Los Angeles and recently started franchising with locations in San Diego, New York City and Washington D.C.

Jill Simonian is a Parenting Lifestyle Contributor and appears every Wednesday on CBS Los Angeles' News at 5pm. Her personal blog is TheFabMom.com. Follow Jill on Twitter @jillsimonian and connect with her on Facebook.