App reviews: Good Housekeeking @Home, Sling TV

Good Housekeeking @Home

Regardless of any rodent's forecast or chill in the air, it's the time of year when people's thoughts turn to spring. And often that means spring cleaning. Good Housekeeping @Home, an app from the magazine, offers users cleaning and organization tips.

It has cleaning ideas for every part of your home, whether you're looking to give your range top a deep clean or want to get the scratches out of your floor.

The app is also a decent resource for those everyday cleaning problems, thanks to its "stain-busters" section, which gives instructions on tackling a variety of stains, including those caused by "alcoholic beverages" and "zucchini." (I didn't know zucchini stained, either.) And it has articles for organizing and decorating, a la Pinterest or BuzzFeed, if you need inspiration. Free, for iOS and Android devices.

Sling TV

Ditching your cable TV subscription - cord-cutting, as it's commonly known - is tempting. A lot of people pay for channels they don't watch, and on days when your wallet is feeling a little thin, it's easy to look at your expenses and ask, "Do I really want to be paying for all of those channels?"

Dish's SlingTV offers one option for cord-cutters, serving up live ESPN, HGTV, Food Network and other programming on your mobile device (or Roku, if you want to watch on a television) at $20 per month.

This is not a perfect service. It's still a bundle and may not have all the channels you want - or it may include channels you don't want. It also isn't a DVR app; you can't watch any show on demand or fast-forward through commercials. But if you need a little nudge to get off cable, this could be it. Free to download for iOS and Android devices; requires a $20 per month subscription.