Top Ten Tuesday -- Make My Life Easier

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

This week's topic is things that make my blogging and reading life easier.  I decided to split my list into things that made blogging easier and things that make reading easier.

Reading:

1. Comfy chair -- I love my chair!  It's the perfect old library style chair to relax and read in.  Add in an ottoman and maybe a fuzzy blanket (on the off chance that it's actually chilly around here) and I have the perfect place to settle in and read.
2. Good cup of tea -- I always have to have something to drink when I read.  A hot spicy cup of tea is just the thing.  I prefer a chai or an herbal blend, but most kinds of tea would work in a pinch.
3. Background music -- I can't read in silence but I also can't read with the television on in the background.  I like some very familiar music to be quietly playing in the background.  I've found that The Civil Wars or Mumford and Sons is just about perfect.
4. Yummy snacks -- How can I have a good cup of tea with some yummy snacks?  It's just not possible.  I'm trying not to snack a huge amount, but some crackers or cookies every once in awhile is just the right amount.
5. Tylenol -- This pregnancy has given me so many headaches.  Some days I just need a little bit of help to sit and focus.

Blogging:

1. Goodreads -- My first stop for TBR suggestions and a general book count.  Plus, it's a great way for my book club ladies and I to see what each one of us is reading.  We also use it to choose possible selections.
2. Amazon -- My stop for buying books (mostly in the past, but I do love the occasional free ebook) and getting general book information for blog posts.  It's an easy way to get summaries, page totals, and publishing information.
3. The Library -- Even though I have too many unread book sitting in the office, I still love hitting up the library for the occasion blind find.  There's something about browsing through the stacks that calms me.
4. Evernote -- This little application is a godsend for helping to plan out and keep track of all my blog posts.  I have an easy system of laying out the recurring blog topics and making sure to notate when I've finished the post.  This way I rarely miss scheduled posts or duplicate topics.
5. J -- I am not super technical.  So I always turn to my own personal geek to help with the day to day of managing a blog.  We just went through a hosting change, so you may notice a few slight differences.  Without him, I wouldn't have a blog.