Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Beyond the Books: Where I Blog & Holiday-Themed Reading

Every Thursday Karen of KissinBlueKaren hosts Beyond the Books, at which time participants are given a topic and asked to write about it on their own blogs. They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Today Karen's Beyond the Books topic is about where I blog. I thought the best way to show you would be in pictures.


One advantage to having a laptop is being able to choose where I blog when I am at home. Occasionally when business is slow at work, I start working on a blog post there, but most of the work is done from one of three favorite spots in my house.


Often on Fridays you will find me in the family room. I set myself up with books and my computer. I start blogging with my laptop on my lap, but it soon moves to the arm of the couch when one of my cats inevitably decides to come sit on my lap.  Parker in particular likes to lay on my mousepad when he tires of sitting on my lap.  Just so you don't think I am ignoring whichever cat is on my lap, I often stop working to pet them.  It makes blogging a slower process, but I don't mind the purrs and cuddles. Sometimes I blog while watching television from this very spot. Occasionally I sit on the floor as well.


My library (aka the living room) makes another good blogging spot. I kick my legs up on one end of the couch, with my computer on my lap and type to my heart's content.


On certain evenings, between my daughter's bath-time and our bedtime, you can find me at my computer desk adding last minute touches to my blog posts. This is actually a more recent development as before my computer rarely got turned on in the evenings. It still is sometimes just a quick stop because any time I spend on my computer at this time of night usually means I am sacrificing quality reading time.

Where do you do most of your blogging?
Book Blogger Hop


Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.


Do you ever do a review post based on a holiday? For example review Christmas theme books in December. (submitted by Bunnita @ Worth Reading It?)
I do! At least around Christmas time and on the rare occasion Halloween. It isn't something I always do--just when the opportunity presents itself.

How about you? Do you read and review books based on holidays?


 © 2015, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

38 comments:

  1. I adore your living room! The couch, the gorgeous bookshelves...and I think I have almost the same throw pillows. My little nephew-dog alwaysxwants to sit with me when the laptop comes out, as he does at his house with his mommy, but I sit in a chair and she has a couch, so he's more squashed at my house. It doesn't matter. As soon as he hears the clock when it opens he's run bib to sit with me, as if treats were involved! They're not.🐶

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    1. Elizabeth - Thank you. :-) I love those pillows. :-) They get well abused by everyone in my house. Aw! Dogs are funny that way. It sounds like your nephew dog likes cuddling with you.

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  2. Your living room is lovely - those book cases! The couch looks very comfy too. Love my laptop so I can kind of blog from anywhere the kids will let me :)

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    1. Grace - Thank you! I have four more of those bookshelves on the other side of the room. So many books! LOL I would be lost without my laptop. I love it.

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  3. I have a laptop and a desktop but am so old fashioned I almost always use the desktop.

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    1. Kathy - My husband has a desktop and a laptop, but prefers his desktop too. He's a gamer (although doesn't game as much as he used to) and doesn't trust a laptop to do what his desktop can do.

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  4. Your living-room looks quite comfortable, and those shelves full of books ! Heaven ;)

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    1. Izabel - It's very cozy. :-) I love all my books. My husband says I have to many, but he doesn't know what he's talking about. LOL

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  5. Oh, yes, look at those bookshelves! I have as many books on the floor as on the shelves. There is a little cubbyhole designated as "office" by the builders--tiny, but efficient for blogging. :)

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    1. Jenclair - I've been so good about keeping the books stacks off the floor--mostly. I had a couple tall stacks hiding on the side of one of the bookshelves for awhile, but finally cleared that out. I'm trying to be good and keep only enough books that will fit on my shelves. Of course, e-books are much easier to accumulate and hide so it's not like I'm not still collecting books. Haha

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  6. Thanks for sharing your blogging places, Wendy! I am so old school. I have a desktop computer and a desk and that's where I blog and read blogs. I don't have a laptop, but I do have an iPad. However, thought the iPad is fine for reading blogs and other stuff, I hate to comment with it or write posts. That's the old fast typist in me - old school indeed. LOL

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    1. Kay - My husband and you have that in common. He has a desktop and that's where he blogs. He rarely opens his laptop, if at all. I have a Kindle Fire tablet, but I really only use that for games anymore. I haven't really tried it for reading blogs. I have been debating getting a Surface Pro and using that as a computer and tablet--but we'll see. It's expensive.

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  7. I always love to get a peek into people's blogging habits. :)

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    1. Beth - I admit I made sure everything was tidy. Cheating, I know. LOL

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  8. I love your blogging spaces! You are very creative in your choices...mine are pretty standard, and despite having a laptop, I usually set it up in one spot for the whole day...or when I have house guests, as I did in July, I move it to another space for the duration.

    Here is
    MY BEYOND THE BOOKS POST

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    1. Laurel-Rain - Thank you! The family room is my favorite spot to blog, especially since it's the room with the television set. Unless I'm writing a review, I prefer to have the TV on. If I'm writing a review, I need quiet.

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  9. Your blogging space looks really great. So comfortable looking and those bookshelves are awesome! Obviously, I need to update my space.
    Hey jealousy!
    Thanks for playing along this week!

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    1. Karen - Thank you! I love my bookshelves. That was the one big thing I asked for when we moved into our house--I wanted new matching bookshelves. Our mismatched shelves are upstairs and garage.

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  10. I love those bookshelves and those posters on your wall are so cool! You have such a great space!

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    1. Heather - Thank you! The posters are my husband's and the shelves are mine. :-)

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  11. I love all of your matching wall of book shelves. I'm just a laptop or iPad user these days. I haven't used a home desk top since 2009 and don't miss it. I do have the same issue with you when using my 17" Dell on my lap -- no room for the cats and I feel guilty, so I am now thinking about getting a 14"....the things we do for cats and kids!

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    1. Diane - I use a desktop at work, but haven't at home in a long while either. I much prefer my laptop. :-) If I switch to a Surface Pro, it'd be much smaller and plenty of room for the cats. :-) And you're right, kids too. Mouse does love to sit on my lap still. I'm going to miss it when she doesn't want to cuddle with me constantly anymore.

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  12. I love all your spots for blogging and I am jealous of your bookshelves! We don't have any space for shelves so the books I have are in storage bins. Your family room looks really comfortable.

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    1. Kathy - I love my bookshelves. :-) They were a little difficult to put together, but so worth it!

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  13. I enjoyed reading this post, Wendy! I love seeing everyone's blogging spaces and it's great having bookshelves in the living room. Mine is considered too small to have rows of shelves but that's most apartments are here anyways, lol.

    I usually blog with the desktop in our study room, but most times I draft them using my Samsung Note; it also helps to keep my mind occupied and not to mention save the drafting time while waiting to fetch my daughters from school. :)

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    1. Melody - Thanks! It was fun to see where others blog. :-) Having the space for all my bookshelves is one of my favorite features of my house. :-) We were more limited in our old house--and it was worse when we were in our apartment--so I know what you mean.

      That would be neat to be able to compose posts as you wait for your daughters. That's one of the reasons I really want a Surface Pro.

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  14. That couch looks mighty comfy! I blog on a beat up desk in a beat up chair -- neither makes for a comfortable working space, lol. But it get's the job done. I'm moving at the end of this month, so I plan to upgrade.

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    1. Page - It is! I love being able to settle into the couch with my laptop. It isn't always the best for my back though when its acting up unfortunately. When it was just my husband and I, I would often blog from my desk. With my daughter, it's easier to get things done if I'm moving around.

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  15. What a great post. Now I shall picture you sitting on the couch, cat beside you, whenever I visit your blog.

    With regard to posting reviews based around a holiday. I do tend to post a lot of Christmas themed books come December but I think that has more to do with my participating in the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge rather than any concious decision to post only festive books t that time.

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    1. Tracy - Today Parker spent quite a long time on my lap. I didn't get much work done as a result. :-)

      I love your Christmas Spirit Reading posts. :-)

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  16. Your blogging spots look so comfy and cozy! Love the bookshelves.
    I don't have a laptop, but have been toying with the idea of getting one.
    I do my blogging at my computer, but like you mention, I am sacrificing quality reading time by doing so. So I tend to blog on the weekends, mostly early mornings while the house is still asleep.

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    1. Naida - It is! I like to work in comfort when I can. :-)

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  17. What lovely, cozy places to blog? I usually blog at my (very cluttered) desk in my (very messy) home office-cum-library. It's not as cozy, but I can hook my laptop up to an external screen and ergonomic keyboard, which is useful. I also sometimes draft reviews in a notebook - a bound one, I mean, not a small laptop computer. Sometimes I just think better with a pencil in my hand!

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    1. Lark - My desk tends to get very cluttered too. I captured it here on a good day. :-)

      I do that sometimes too--jot down notes the old fashioned way--with pen/pencil and paper. :-)

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  18. I often wish I had a laptop and not a desk computer so I could move around to blog. I'd love to be able to sit out on the patio on nice days to do it!

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    1. Lisa - I've often thought of doing that, sitting on the porch outside. I just haven't tried it yet.

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  19. If things are slow, I definitely do some blogging at work (don't tell the boss!). I also really love to work in coffee shops... something about the quiet music and bustle of people around me really gets the brain going. :)

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    1. Shaina - Your secret is safe with me. :-) I like the idea of blogging in a coffee shop, but I don't generally hang out in places like that so I don't see it happening.

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