We know what it’s like — you’re a busy Mom! You’ve got meetings to attend, noses to wipe, meals to plan, husbands to manage, laundry to do, and work, work, work to be done! Whether you’re a career woman or a work-at-home mom, you don’t have time to waste. To help you make the most of your time and money, we’ve put together our list of the top 10 iPhone apps for busy moms. Let us know which apps you use the most!

For Mom:

1. Evernote (Free*) — This is hands-down the most essential note-taking app available for the iPhone. There are dozens of note-taking apps out there, as well as voice recording apps (the iPhone itself comes standard with Voice Recorder and Notes), but Evernote is a one-stop-shop with the all the features you need. It does text notes, voice notes, even photo notes. It also allows you to tag your notes so you can search for them by keyword! But it doesn’t stop there; Evernote automatically syncs to your desktop (if you choose to download the desktop app) and to your online web account, so you always have access to every note you take no matter which format it’s in or where you’re trying to access it from. You can also enable options to have information imported from Delicious or Google Notebook. The free Evernote account comes with a limited usage of 40MB per month. If you find yourself using more than that you can upgrade to a 500MB/month account for $5/month (or $45/year). If you’re a prolific note-taker (or know that you need to be), and like the idea of being able to take text, voice, or photo notes all from one easy-to-use app, give Evernote a test run. You’ll be glad you did!

2. Baby Activity Logger ($2.99) — If you have a baby, this app is for you. It helps you keep track of the baby’s feeding, sleeping, and poop schedule, as well as special events. There are other Baby Tracker apps out there, but this one combines several functions in one easy-to-use app. If a serious lack of sleep is making it difficult for you to keep track of things like, “How many times have I changed her diaper today?” or “Was his last poop runny or firm?” then this app is exactly what you need. It can also help you keep track of events like fevers or rashes, how much medicine you administered (and when), and other important bits of information you need to keep track of. That information is not only useful for you on a daily basis, but can help you accurately report to your doctor during checkups and visits. Reviews have also suggested that the developer is quick to respond to user inquiries. Give Baby Activity Logger a shot and let us know how you like it!

3. The Weather Channel (Free) — Keep track of the weather on the go. See local radar, forecasts, video, and more right from your phone! I use this more often than I actually watch the Weather Channel on TV, because the iPhone app doesn’t make you sit through an hour of “Storm Stories” before showing you the forecast. This is great for moms on the go who need to find out quickly what the weather is going to be like: “Should we go to t-ball practice today? Nope, we have a thunderstorm warning.” Selected locations even have access to traffic cams! The Weather Channel app is a must-have for weather aficionados or for moms who just want to find out quickly if they should pack an umbrella or not.

4. AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner (Free) — If you’re a frequenter of recipe sites like AllRecipes.com and CasualCooks.com (and we know you are!) then you’ll be a fan of AllRecipes.com’s Dinner Spinner. This app helps you find food recipes, cooking tips, and more right from your phone. Instead of hauling your laptop into the kitchen to follow a recipe you found online, you can just read it straight off your iPhone! Browse recipes by Ingredient, Dish Type (appetizers, desserts, etc.), or by “Ready In” Time. If you’re feeling adventurous you can give the phone a shake to come up with something random. If you find something you really like, you can email the link to friends and family. You can also save favorites to access them later. If you like to experiment with new foods, or want to see recipes on your phone while you’re shopping, or just like the convenience of reading the recipe on your phone, then give AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner a try!

5. Google Mobile App (Free) — This app is so essential, I can’t even understand why it doesn’t come standard on the iPhone. Voice search, Google 411, Calendar, Docs, gTalk, Tasks, Reader — have access to all your Google stuff from iPhone. If you’ve ever paid for 411 calls on your phone — shame on you! Google 411 is fast, free, and just as effective as regular 411. Need to access or update your Calendar on the go? You got it. Need to jump on gTalk (a.k.a. Google Talk or Google Chat) away from your computer? No problem. Want to read your RSS feeds or an eBook while waiting at the airport or in the dentist’s office? Easy peasy. The most prominent feature of this app, though, is voice search; it’s the power of Google’s search engine combined with voice recognition technology. How cool is that?! Get the Google Mobile App, unless you’re afraid of making your iPhone an even more essential part of your life than it already is!

6. Save Benjis ($0.99) — If apps that help you save money is more up your ally, Save Benjis may be just what you’re looking for. This app lets you compare prices for products at online stores, including DrugStore.com, Wal-Mart.com, Buy.com, Sears.com, and more. You can use this at home or in the store. If you find an item you like at your local store, but want to comparison shop, just look it up on this app. If you find it at an online store cheaper, you have the advantage of seeing the item first-hand, testing it out, and ordering it from somewhere else at a cheaper price! This is especially nice when shopping for clothes — you can try the item on to see which size you need and then order it online. You can search by UPC number, item description, ISBN, author, manufacturer, and more. This app even comes with a selection of coupons! Compare and save without having to go store-to-store — give Save Benjis a try.

7. Instapaper ($4.99 or Free version) — This app is ideal for busy moms on the go who like to read blogs or online news articles. If you find an article online that you want to read, but don’t have time to sit at home, you can use Instapaper (in combination with your web browser) to send it to your iPhone. When you find a web page or blog you find interesting, but don’t have time to read it, click on “Read Later” and it will go straight to your iPhone. Then, instead of browsing through the less-than-stimulating magazines at the doctor’s office or in the checkout line, you can read that article you really wanted to check out earlier, but didn’t have the time for. Check out Instapaper Pro or Instapaper Free (lacks features like folders, starred articles, position saving, adjustable text size, etc.).

8. White Noise ($1.99 or Free) — We know you’re super busy, so most of the apps on this list provide something to help you keep organized or save time and/or money. Our last selection for Mom, though, is White Noise. This app is not for busy time — it’s for relaxing time. In all the hectic noise of life, you need some alone time! White noise provides soothing sounds for relaxation. The selection includes “Thunder”, “Beach”, “Rain Storm”, “Tibetan Singing Bowl”, and tons more. Even if you don’t have time to sit alone in your room and relax, you can spend 5 minutes in line somewhere just letting the soft sounds relax you. Turn a frustrating wait into a blessing of quiet time! If you’d like a little relaxing ambiance in your busy life, check out White Noise or White Noise Lite (less selection).

For the kids:

These apps are great for those times when you need your iPhone to keep the kids busy for a few minutes, be it waiting in the doctor’s office or doing some shopping around town.

9. Scribble ($0.99) — This is a paint & drawing app that’s perfect for younger kids. It’s like finger painting without the mess! You can make original drawings using a palette of colors, or you can draw on the photos already on your iPhone. You can even save your kids’ work to print out later or show off! Check out Scribble or Scribble Lite (fewer features and ad-supported).

10. Super Monkey Ball ($5.99) — This has been a favorite family game for as long as it’s been around. Watch out, though, because you might get addicted to it yourself! Help an adorable little monkey roll his way around various courses and environments to reach the goal. Collect bananas to get extra lives. This game is great for older kids — including you! Get Super Monkey Ball — if you dare!

Bonus app:

Facebook (Free) — What essential iPhone app list would be complete without Facebook? If you’re a Facebook addict (and we know you are!) you can use this free app to keep track of what’s going on while you’re out and about. Use Facebook chat, see photos (and upload your own), check status updates, and more. For the Facebook-savvy, the Facebook iPhone app is a must.

Looking for more must-have apps? Check out our Top 10 iPhone Apps for Girls!

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*All prices reflect those of the respective apps at the time this article was published. Prices are subject to change at the discretion of the developer.

(Original photo by Roberto Garcia, used under Creative Commons license.)