Blog Article

How are you going to eat?!

Published: September 13, 2019

So how do you plan to survive, like pay rent and eat? That is the big question that random (ok, not mathematically random) people ask me. I have a strategy that will employ a few different approaches.

  • Monetizing some of the Add-ons that I have built. Currently FormRecycler and FormCreator have Premium plans. FormRecycler was ramping up near the end of the school year...until Google released the same functionality natively in Forms :( Feel free to support me by using those Add-ons (and buying the unlimited plans ;) to be more productive, save time, and amplify your teaching! I developed those so I could be more lazy efficient as a teacher.
  • Creating content. As my friend Alice says, I have valuable ideas that I need to share. I plan on sharing those ideas in a way they can be replicated and valuable (I think). So you will see me start to create on a variety of platforms (like Youtube), in addition to this blog.
  • Affiliate Links. Yup. But I don't plan on spamming you with clickbait. I have a lot of people ask me what my technical setup is...and I share it with them. I might as well give them the direct link to Amazon and then I get a small percentage out if it, right? Essentially, I have a curated list of products I love and I will share them. Feel free to buy them from my link or not :)

That last point seems like a great segue...so here are some of the items that I use on a daily basis (with the Amazon affiliate links). I have a bigger post planned with some more details on my daily workflow, especially while traveling. All I need is my Chromebook, headphones, and WiFi (preferably fast)!

Blog image: working setup packed My working setup packed up

Blog image: working setup unpacked My working setup

Chromebook

I develop/surf/do everything with my Chromebook Pixelbook. I originally started with the Chromebook Pixel Ludicrous Speed when I joined Texthelp 3 years ago and it was awesome! I loved that it used USB-C and I could use the same charger as my phone (meaning 1 less charger to carry around...super helpful for all the travel I did and fitting in on Reddit OneBag...no affiliate link there, just an awesome Reddit community...be careful though as you might find yourself spending hours on cutting down your stuff).

I also love that I CAN do everything with a Chromebook since so many students have them and as so many haters want to say that you can't :)

Toposh Portable External Monitor

Yeah, I am one of those people that has 2 monitors everywhere I go now. It took me until about 6 months ago to use a 2nd monitor. Now I can't imagine working without one. My back and neck love me now. I love this TOPOSH External Monitor! Also, I am so much more productive coding/debugging. I did code/create for about 5 years with just a laptop and will say the 2nd monitor is a luxury, but for the price it can't be beat. I love that it works with my Chromebook, doesn't need an external power cord (other than the Chromebook USB-C cable) and has a nice fold up case that is just slightly bigger than my Chromebook case (and is 15.6"!). Also, it comes with all you need to make it work, just plug it in and go!

Satechi Multiport USB-C hub

This Satechi USB-C hub is the glue that holds together my minimal workspace. I plug my USB-C power cable into it, plug that into my Chromebook Pixelbook and then I can plug in any external bits I need. I plug in the external monitor with HDMI, the ethernet cable, it has a few USB plugs which work nice for my Blue Yeti mic, and I also use it to upload pics from an SD card as well. It is super small to just pop into my cable case and away I can go from home office to co-working space.

Backbeat Pro 2 headphones

I love these Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2 headphones! They are super comfortable on my ears and I was able to get replacement earpads when the original ones wore down after 2 years. The noise cancelling is awesome, especially in a loud cafe or co-working space. They are Bluetooth compatible and also have an open setting so I can toggle it on to hear my daughter without needing to take them off. They also collapse down easily for transport by tilting the ears inwards. I tried lots of headphones like Beats and Bose and these were by far my favorite!