Saturday, March 26, 2016

Sunday Post: Happy Easter!

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and gives us all a chance to recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. 

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate! Come Sunday morning, in which we all hopefully will be sleeping in a bit, there will be an Easter Egg Hunt, baskets overflowing with candy and gifts ("overflowing" might be an exaggeration), and maybe some cotton candy making. Easter would probably be better named "Sugar High Day" in our house. I may drag everyone out of the house for a walk. It's been such a beautiful weekend. To be honest, if it weren't for Mouse, we probably would not do much at all for Easter. It's really just another day for us.

What are you up to today? Are you spending the day with family or do you have something else planned?

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.


How much of your day is devoted to your blog, and how much is devoted to reading? (submitted by Elizabeth
How much blogging and reading I get in depends a lot on life factors. Work and family and other obligations. As much as I enjoy blogging, it is not my top priority. It often gets set aside for other things, which is why I take breaks now and then and am not able to post every day. Unfortunately, sometimes my reading suffers too.

I devote time every day to reading--it's never as much as I would like. I spend maybe twenty to twenty-five minutes reading during my lunch break at work. And then I try to read some in the evenings or before bed. Some weekends I am able to get in a lot read, but most weekends I get very little reading done. Sometimes the only reading I am able to fit in is five minutes here and there. I read when I can.

Fridays are usually the day I try to do most of my blog writing, including reviews and prepping posts for the upcoming week. Although, it is not uncommon for me to take days to write one post because I do not have a lot of time in one sitting to work on my blog. To help with my time constraints, I often will set up the skeleton and formatting of a post weeks or days ahead, so that when I am ready to write that review or some other post, it's much easier to do. I answer comments on my blog and visit other blogs throughout the week when I can, but the timing is rather sporadic. I do not always get a chance to blog on the weekends, although I try to get on the computer Saturday nights before bed to put up my Sunday Post.

I probably do read less than I would if I wasn't blogging. I enjoy the community aspect of blogging too much to give it up though.  How about you? How much time do you devote to reading and blogging?


What I Am Reading: March is always a slow reading month for me. It's such a busy month, really. This weekend I began reading Elizabeth Percer's All Stories Are Love Stories. I am not too far in, but I was pulled in right away. The San Francisco setting, the earthquakes and fire seem a fitting way to end March--that's the way I ended February too, after all. 


What I Am Watching: I did not have the chance to watch much this past week. This past week's episode of The Walking Dead was not as action packed as previous episodes, but was still a meaningful one. I went through my usual "I hate this show!" moment. It's not true; I do not hate the show. I just don't like it when bad things happen to characters I like.


Around the Blogosphere:

What's Going On Off the Blog: With my boss on vacation and several schools in the county on spring break, work was a bit slower this past week--a nice change after an extra busy February and early March. This coming week will be a full one of meetings and our big staff appreciation event (I am a part of the planning committee). Hopefully everything will go smoothly!

This past Friday Mouse and I toured a local daycare center we are considering for after school care this coming school year. It's a private run center not too far from our house. Everything was very clean, and I was impressed overall with the layout and the programs they offer. While most of the staff seemed very friendly and worked well with the children that were there, I was a little put off by the woman giving us the tour. Maybe she was having a bad day. It's hard to say. Her answers to my questions were brief, and she didn't seem all that enthusiastic to be there--or talking to me. For all the encouragement they gave me to bring Mouse with me on the tour, our host barely talked to her. Not that my daughter's the one that needs to be sold on the place, but it just seemed odd given it's a child care center.

I will be touring the on-campus program this next week at the school Mouse will be attending. If my phone conversation with the site coordinator is anything to go by, I am thinking this may be the route we go. It also happens to be the more affordable choice--which, in and of itself, is a big factor in its favor.

It was a pretty ordinary week otherwise. Mouse had her Easter party at school on Friday morning. Saturday Mouse had her soccer class and played at the park with her friend. We visited a nearby mall after for lunch and a little shopping. Mouse loves to go there because they have a play area for kids. How she has energy to play, play, play, I do not know. She made a friend and the two were running all over the play area, having a great time. We made it home in time to play a big elaborate game with Mouse's Barbie dolls. She even got her dad to play with us.

How was your week?



This Past Week In Reading Mews:

I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!

© 2016, 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.

51 comments:

  1. Lovely Sunday Post, Wendy! I hope Mouse enjoys the day and that you do too, regardless of the risks of sugar highs.. ;)
    I definitely do the same thing with setting up the skeleton of a post and then writing the rest of it up a bit later! I'm glad that seems to work for you as well!
    The lady who showed you around sounds a bit...stand-offish? Even if she was having a bad day, your tour of the place shouldn't suffer for it.
    It's nice to hear about your week! I hope everything does go smoothly at work despite it getting a bit busier again!

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    1. Annika - Thank you! We had a nice day overall. I hope you did too!

      I find setting up the skeleton of a post saves me time and makes me feel less rushed when I'm finally finishing up a post. I'm glad I am not the only one who uses that method. :-)

      I am not ready for today. Hopefully it won't be too busy of a day. Have a great rest of the week!

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  2. Happy Easter! Bring on the candy lol. Like you my reading and blogging time per day varies a lot. I tend to prep posts and do a lot of bloggin on the weekend when I have time- Saturday is a big day for that.

    I hear you on The Walking Dead. I like the show too, but allthis lead up to something terrible happening at the end of the season is irritating me actually. I'm probably watching the wrong show but I tired of all bad things all the time lol.

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    1. Greg - Thank you! The Easter Bunny may have over done it with the candy. LOL

      I haven't yet seen this week's episode and so far have avoided spoilers. I'm both dreading and looking forward to the season finale.

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  3. We don't do a lot for Easter - just get spawn an Easter egg, and that's about it. Have a great week :)

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    1. Maree - I figure we have a few more years ahead of us of hiding eggs before that wears itself out. :-)

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  4. I always try to read on my lunch hour too. It's a great little mini-break during the day. Sounds like you had a busy week. Hope you have a great Easter and have a chance to relax. Have a great week. My Weekly Wrap-Up

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    1. Laura (125Pages) - Reading during my lunch break is a nice way to decompress, isn't it? I hope you had a nice Easter too!

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  5. I'm exactly the same with how much time I spend on my blog! Happy Easter! Have a great week and happy reading!

    Laura @ http://a-reader-lives-a-thousand-lives.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Laura Greenwood - I could probably spend all day every day on my blog if I had the time and opportunity. LOL But then no reading would get done . . .

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  6. Happy Easter to you and your family! Blogging definitely cuts into reading time!

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  7. We will be off to a family brunch for Easter. Love the pic of Mouse watering the garden!

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  8. Wishing you and yours a happy Easter Sunday.

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  9. Happy Easter, and I hope you and Mouse have a lot of fun! She looks like she will be enjoying it...

    Finding good day care is always high priority when you have young children. I remember it well, and sometimes, just when you thought you had it sorted, something would happen to change everything.

    Enjoy your week...and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES


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    1. Laurel-Rain - Thank you! Same to you. Mouse had a wonderful time that morning and early afternoon. :-)

      Yes, and I'm sure too you know who my job has an impact on that too. I am sure it will all work out. I have a tendency to over worry. :-)

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  10. Happy Easter! We have grown kids so no Easter egg hunts or waking up early to see what the Bunny brought. We do still color eggs, at least for another year maybe, and eat hard-boiled eggs with bagels or something for breakfast. I make a "big" dinner in the late afternoon and the grown kids who are home get some chocolate. That's our day.

    I wish I did spend more time reading and less blogging, but-- like you-- I don't want to give up the blogging community, so I have to share posts to keep folks interested enough to chat with me. I do take hiatuses occasionally to get a handle on "real life".

    Have a great week and thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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    1. Rita - I'm happy to say she let us sleep in Sunday morning. :-) It was a relatively nice Easter. I hope your dinner with your family went well!

      I will likely be taking a hiatus from my blog this week. Too much other stuff going on to work on my blog.

      I hope you have a great week too!

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  11. March is usually a good reading month for me because of Spring Break. I totally agree with you about The Walking Dead this past week. So sad! But still so good!
    Check out my Sunday Post

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    1. Lisa - I miss having a spring break. I have a day off next week I hope to take advantage of. I may spend the day reading, if I can. Have a great week!

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  12. Happy Easter, I am already fed up of the sight of chocolate it seems to have sprung up everywhere! Plus it was raining heavily here overnight so the Easter Bunny had to come inside and leave eggs everywhere which was a job as my dog is good at sniffing out chocs!

    Have a great week and happy reading!

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    1. Heather - Fed up with chocolate?! How is that possible? I admit I am tired of peanut butter and chocolate already. And Starbursts.

      We hid eggs inside and out. The wind had a field day with some of the eggs outside.Thank goodness none of them opened. We're lucky the cats didn't bother the ones inside. My younger cat thinks everything is a toy.

      I hope you have a great week!

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  13. I wouldn't have liked the guide of the daycare facility either - especially if she was the director. They're the ones who make the hiring decisions and that the teachers work with so that one person can definitely impact the facility in the big way. I hope you like the onsite program. It's always nice to only have one place to deal with.
    We don't do much for Easter and if wasn't for the Tornado we probably wouldn't do as much as we do though I do start stockpiling the Caramel Cadbury eggs as soon as I start seeing them in stores! Have a great week!

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    1. Katherine - I hope to get out to the on site program tomorrow to check it out. I read a copy of their handbook online. You can tell they've dotted all their i's and crossed all their t's.

      I like those Caramel Cadbury eggs a little too much. Haha. I hope you are having a great week too!

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  14. Happy Easter! Look at your little helper in the garden - cutie! I hope your next after school facility tour goes much better. I think I would be put off by what happened at the other. Or maybe you can go back and get a tour from someone else? Either way, good luck. I can imagine that's a tough decision to make! Hope you have a great week ahead!

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    1. Iliana - She planted poppy seeds and we are all hoping they'll take. :-)

      I hope the other tour goes better too. She'll likely be fine wherever she ends up going, I'm much more picky. :-) I hope your week has been going well too!

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  15. After school care/daycare is always a stressful decision. The tour guide's attitude does not help matters. We have spring break next week. Looking forward to the slower pace.

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    1. Nise' - At times like this, I wish I didn't work so it wouldn't be an issue. :-S I hope you are enjoying your spring break!

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  16. Sounds like a great week! I would definitely follow up with the owner of the child care facility, as well as the teacher who will be Mouse's teacher. That does not sound right, and I am an educator. Happy Easter!

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    1. Charlie - My brother said something similar. Before he went into teaching, he worked at an after school program, and was very involved there. I plan to drop in on the on-site after school program at my daughter's future school tomorrow. Hopefully it will go well.

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  17. You sound like you do your blog like me. I do love the blogging and designing of it.
    Sportochick’s Musings Answer

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    1. Teri - I enjoying blogging. Of course, I probably wouldn't continue blogging if I didn't. :-)

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  18. I hope you and your family have a happy Easter Day!

    Hmm... I know I'll be discouraged and put off if the guide shows that kind of attitude, especially if they are running an educational centre. I hope your next tour will be a better one. Perhaps you'll need to find out more about the one you'd visited and give it some more thoughts? That said, I hope you'll find one which you and Mouse like, soon.

    Hope you all have a wonderful week ahead! :-)

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    1. Melody - Thank you! We'll be touring the on-site school program tomorrow and I'm hopeful it will go well. It really would be the most convenient program. One of the things I liked about the first one we toured was that they are open later--it would give me more leeway in case I am running late. We'll see though. We'll make our decision after I visit this other program tomorrow.

      I hope you are enjoying your week! I am very ready for the weekend!

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  19. I hope you had a great Easter. We don’t celebrate Easter at all. But we had a nice and quiet day with just the two of us. I made homemade pizza in the evening and we just enjoyed our free day. We do love those chocolate eggs though :D:D

    I wish I would be able to read on my lunch breaks. But it’s not a ‘normal’ thing to do in my job and I can’t find a place it’s quiet enough. I’ll keep searching and trying though.

    Good luck with the staff appreciation event. I hope everything goes the way you planned it.

    Happy reading ;)

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    1. Maureen - Thank you! I hope you are enjoying your week! We ended up having pizza last Sunday too. :-) And probably too much chocolate.

      I'm sorry you can't read during your lunch break. I've had jobs like that. I'm lucky that I can slip into an empty office and read during my lunch. Or, it if isn't too hot out, I can sit in my car and read during my lunch break. If I try to eat in the breakroom, people can't seem to help but to stop and want to chat. Sometimes I don't mind that, but usually I do. I like having that down time to decompress.

      I think the staff appreciation event went well. I'm glad it's over finally! Whew!

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  20. I hope you had a fantastic Easter! Sugar high day is a wonderful second name for the day. It is so tough making child care decisions. I am sure that you will know the right choice when it is time to make the decision. I don't know how you get so much done. I know that I didn't get a lot of reading done while my kids were little and time on the computer never happened. Have a great week!

    Carole @ Carole's Random Life

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    1. Carole - Thank you! I hope you had a great one too. It can be very hard finding time to read and get on the computer even with just my one child, but I try to make time when I am able. It just doesn't always happen. :-) I hope you have a great week too!

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  21. I hope you find a great daycare center. I know what you mean about the lack of attention of the person giving the tour. I always expect people who give childcare to actually pay attention to kids, be sweet, kind, and interested in you. If I don't see that, I will be very put off.

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    1. Athira - Thank you! I hope so too. I agree with you--I would have expected her to pay more attention to the children a bit more given the setting. The saleswoman at Bath and Body was more attentive to my daughter than the woman at the daycare facility. We shall see how tomorrow goes with the on-site daycare.

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  22. Huh... after school care place with the person giving the tour not really interested in talking to Mouse? That sounds a bit weird...
    I hope you'll find the perfect match both when it comes to school and the after school program for her.
    Happy reading - whenever you find the time for it ;) I think blogging also takes a little time away from actually reading, but it's so much fun!
    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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    1. Lexxie - I thought it was odd. I did like the program though. The second program I looked into seems like a good one too--and more affordable. We're leaning toward that one right now. Regardless, she'll be going to the local public school in our area.

      Yes, blogging is a lot of fun. :-) I wish it didn't take away from reading, but I wouldn't be able to do it otherwise.

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  23. I miss Easter baskets filled with sandpails and new spring outfits and bubbles and sidewalk chalk and, of course, candy. My baby is 21 this year and I just decided the kiddos were all finally so big they didn't need baskets any more - they don't really want the candy, for one things. But then it didn't really feel like Easter. I may have to go back to them next year!

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    1. Lisa - Mouse's basket had a couple of nightgowns (Wonder Woman and Hello Kitty). She was quite happy with them. :-) Easter isn't a big holiday for us and so having to stuff eggs and do much of anything always seems to come as an after thought. Especially this year since we just celebrated her birthday. I could just do a basket up for her, but she likes it when my husband and I get baskets too. It was a good excuse to get myself a little something. ;-)

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  24. Happy Belated Easter! I spend most of the morning cooking and baking then we just eat and relax the day away.
    Like you, blogging is not my top priority. If I find time, I do it, but usually weeks will pass without my even touching my computer. I do read almost every day though.
    Oh my gosh and tomorrow is the season finale of The Walking Dead. Daryl had better be ok! lol
    Cute pics and enjoy your weekend! Good luck with the school hunting.
    I emailed you because you won my blog-versary contest :)

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    1. Naida - Same to you! That sounds like a nice way to spend the day. I think I am a much happier blogger now that I don't worry about posting every day or taking a break when I just can't manage a post. I used to feel guilty, but not so much anymore. I go through withdrawals if I can't read every day though.

      I hope Daryl is okay too! I hope to watch the finale Friday.

      Thanks again for the giveaway! :-)

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  25. I wish I had more time to blog and I'm unwilling to give up the great book community too! Good luck with school plans for Mouse - it's always such a personal decision.

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