THIS IS "HOW I WORK" BLOGATHON

I occasionally receive emails from readers who want to know what programs I'm using or they're curious about how I work. So I have taken inspiration from the "How I Work" and "What's in My Bag" series' over a LifeHacker.com. I know that my blogger peeps post a lot about movies, television, and many other pop culture phenoms, but I would love more insight as to how my fellow bloggers work! What makes you tick, what programs and apps do you use, etc?

This is my first blogathon. I have never ever done this before! It's a little non-traditional in the sense that it is not focused on entertainment per se, but on the bloggers themselves. This blogathon is open to any and all types of bloggers. Please answer as few or as many of  the following questions as you see fit. If you'd like, please post a photo that you feel fits "YOU" and what you do. Photo is optional. Deadline is Tuesday, July 20th. Please sign up through the linky list after the "Read More" jump below. Thanks. Email me or tweet me when your entry is ready. Thanks!

What apps can you not live without?
What is your favorite blogging app?

What gadgets (besides your phone) you can't live without?

What lifehacks make your life easier?

Where do you get your news?
What are your favorite social media apps?

How do you blog?
What is your day job?

Sign up through the Linky List below.
Above I posted a photo of the contents of my bag and my most frequently used items: a good solid bag, Lenovo laptop, Barnes & Noble 2015 18-month calendar, bright orange pocket book, prescription glasses, a granola bar (and a protein bar), generic acetaminophen, chapstick, a Tide stick for stains, eye drops, notepad, my car keys with a Supergirl key chain of course, Panosonic headphones, a pen, a highlighter, a key chain with rewards cards looped on it, and last but not least my iPhone 5C. I always have a granola or a protein bar in my bag in case I miss a meal. Admittedly, my beauty products are Spartan. I don't really wear makeup unless I'm going out on the town. I do try to keep a notepad on hand to jot down notes. Sometimes it's important to put pen to paper.

The apps I can't live without? Pixlr and Picmonkey for all of my design needs, Flickr for photo sharing, StockSnap.io for stock photos, Blogger (obviously), all things Google (Chrome, Gmail, and Google docs), GetPocket.com, iTunes, Fitbit for Iphone, and Evernote. I like to use Pixlr and Picmonkey because sometimes I'm on a computer that doesn't have Photoshop. These photoshopping programs are little powerhouses.

For those of you unfamiliar with Pocket, it is a bookmarking tool and it is awesome. If you're like me then you sometimes can go bookmark crazy and have a difficult time finding them later. Pocket allows you to save articles, videos, or pretty much anything on the web. It also enables you to tag the items you save so you can find it.

What is my favorite blogging app? I love "AddThis." It allows me to easily add contact buttons and refers readers to recommended posts. I also like linkwithin to refer readers to old posts. Linkedwithin gives readers a glimpse into my blogs past posts. I do enjoy using Disqus for comments, although it can be buggy at times. I frequently use Disqus to comment on other blogs. However, I haven't switched over to Disqus for comments here yet. I'm thinking about it!

The gadgets (besides my phone) that I can't live without? Roku, Amazon Firestick, and Mohu. I have to keep up with a lot of pop culture so without television I would have to rely solely on my laptop, which would not allow me to relax on the sofa with a beer when I wanted to watch a movie. I am in the process of unplugging my cable so I recently purchase two Mohus, which have been wonderful. I can get all of the network stations and a few others. With the addition of Roku and Firestick, it's a perfect combination. I am waiting to get a non-subscription DVR before I completely cut the cord.

What lifehacks make your life easier? In addition to being a blogger and a full time employee, I'm also a wife, mom, and part-time graduate student. I am taking the summer off from classes...thank goodness. Given my busy schedule there are several things that make my life easier:

1. My husband is a huge support and is truly a co-parent. This generation of men (Gen-Xers and Millennials) are incredible. They change diapers, do bedtime, put barrettes in hair, bath time, and bedtime--not just play time. I am so thankful for this.
2. My extended family. My mother-in-law helps out a lot and takes my little one to doctor appointment checkups. My sister helps babysit on nights out. My sister also helps me take care of my father, who is shall we say..."high maintenance."
3. My calendar, iPhone, Outlook, and Google reminders (yes I need four reminders) to keep me on schedule.
4. Amazon Prime helps keep my house stocked with diapers and wipes.
5. Online pet food and cat litter delivery. I can't tell you how nice it is not to lug a 30 pound bag of dog food or cat litter from the store. 
6. Coop fresh fruit and vegetable delivery.
7. Lowes online grocery shopping. Yes, I do the majority of my grocery shopping online. I do make bimonthly trips to Costco for gas and other staples, but for the most part I stay out of the grocery store if I can.
8. Swiffer sweeper. I have two dogs and two cats and a young child. Nuff said.

I'm sure at this point you're sensing a pattern... my motto is if I can spend less time in a store or a mall, then I can spend more time with my family or doing other things that interest me. I treat the time I save as a precious commodity. I also buy clothes, shoes, and anything else I need online. I do occasionally have to venture out to the store for something obscure, but it's becoming a rarity these days. I really don't want to think about all of the money I have spent on Amazon.com over the course of my 15+ year relationship with them, When I became a parent it only got worse.

Where I get my news? Please do not expect anything high brow here...my main news outlets are Facebook and Twitter. I know. I know, but I follow a lot of news and entertainment pages and that's the news that's in my feed. I stopped watching television news a long time ago.

Speaking of which, what are my favorite social media apps? I use Facebook pretty heavily to keep up with my friends and family. I keep my personal Facebook very private and small. However, I do have a page for A Space Blogyssey. Unless I have met someone in person I don't feel comfortable adding them to my Facebook friend's list. I try to use Twitter a few times a week at least. I also use Instagram. I have a private account for my baby photos. I use Tumblr, Google+, and Pinterest occasionally, probably a few times a month.

How I blog? I typically blog at night, during my lunch hour, or on the weekends. During the summer months I try to blog more. However, in the fall or winter, I may only have a few blog posts a month. I tried to blog every day during the summer of 2011, but I found that I was sacrificing quality for quantity. So I now exclusively focus on the quality of my blog posts rather than the quantity. I may not posts as often, but I feel like it's better for readers to see high-quality blog posts.

What is my day job? By day I work in government as a Research Assistant, primarily handling research requests. I believe that Lisbeth Salander from 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' was also a research assistant, but trust me she's way cooler than me!