October 2015 Blog Ahead Challenge: Goals

Hosted by the awesome ladies at Herding Cats and Burning Soup and Caffeinated Book Reviewer

 

Hi everyone!  I am soo thrilled to announce this blogger event coming up next month called BLOG AHEAD!  What's the big deal about it?  Well for one, think about all the times you wanted to have a blog post go up but life, work, school, your friends and family came first.  Now just image if you had scheduled out a month of post before the cray-cray started.  That would be one more thing off your mind since your blog would be on cruise control.  

Example: Today I am writing this post on 9/17/15 but you will not see it posted until... wait for it...9/23/15.  Voila!  I blogged ahead.  

Get it! So here are my goals for this awesome, much needed and super wonderful event.

Bloggiesta Is Coming!

You know what's coming up?
BLOGGIESTA!!!
This year I am going to try and keep my To-Do list simple and just focus on the basics.  I am not going to work on both blogs.  I am going to focus on this one only for now because I feel like I have the most work to do here.  

Some of you may be wondering what exactly is Bloggiesta and/or when is it?

In short, Bloggiesta is a blogging marathon revolving around ticking off those items on your to-do list and improving your blog while in the good company of other awesome bloggers doing the same thing. Our awesome mascot Pedro (Plan. Edit. Develop. Review. Organize) is ready to break out the nachos, enchiladas, drinks, mariachi music and whack a pinata or two! It’s nothing short of an awesome fiesta! - Bloggiesta Website

Book Blogger Hop: The Rewards

Hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Happy Friday everyone. 

TGIF!!!!!  Hope you all had a great, productive week full of page turning fun.  I just handed in my finals and I am going to do nothing but read what I want and drink wine.  LOL!  

What are your weekend plans?

What is Book Blogger Hop all about?

Each week the host at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted writer will prompt a new topic submit by a blogger and everyone can join in with their answers. You should join us! It's quite fun!  No really it is!

This Weeks Topic/Question

September 11th - 17th: What is most rewarding about being a book blogger? (submitted by Elizabeth)

5 Things I Learned While Not Blogging

As you can see from my Archives list at the bottom of the blog, I have taken some time off from blogging since May.  I slowed down a ton and just posted a few things here and there.  Of course I posted the D.O.T.S. reading challenge review linky once a month.  And yes, I was riddled with blogger guilt.  You know what I mean.  Feeling like you are a complete slacker for not posting a blog post every single day then every single week. Those feelings of losing all you blog readers are a bit overwhelming at times.  And let's not talk about those feeling of not joining all the cool kids on the blog events going on like Bout of Books. 
But you know what?
After a month of those feelings I kinda of got over it.  Like I almost forgot I even had a blog some days.  I don't know how that happened but it did.  I had other life stuff going on (and I still do) so there was a reason behind it all. 
Now that I am making an effort to blog again I have a few life/blog lessons I thought I would pass on to you.  These are the 5 things I learned while I wasn't blogging. 

Sunday Delight: Getting Back in the Saddle

Happy Sunday

I know you are wondering what the Apple Cider Vinegar on the header is all about.  Well as you may have noticed it's that time of year when the weather is changing.  For many of us that means cold season is coming.  Apple Cider Vinegar is the best, most natural way to fight the cold going around.  NO really it is!  I put it up there as a reminder to get your bottle and start by taking it once a week for the month then up it to twice a week or more as needed.  It will keep you healthy and if you do get sick, you will not be sick for a long time.  There are so many ways to take it but I like to do it first thing in the morning.  

1 part honey

1 part Apple Cider Vinegar

1 part hot water

1 pinch of Cayenne pepper (optional)

Other people have different recipes and different thoughts on it.  I highly advise you to read as much as you can before taking anything at all.  Here is a great place to start

PINTEREST: APPLE CIDER VINEGAR FOR COLDS

Now back to my regularly scheduled blog post.

I am thrilled to say as of right now (Thursday night) I have officially gotten my blogging back in the saddle.  I have 10 scheduled blog post!!! Whoot!  Whoot!

Sunday Delight: My Plate is Fullll!

Happy Sunday Everyone!

It has been awhile since I have done a Sunday Delight.  I have started a new project of learning Movie Magic Budgeting software (online) and it has taken me completely away from blogging.  And you know if it was not for audiobooks and my commute I would not even have time for finishing a book at all.  I am adding BEA15 to my plate as well.  Thank God, Monday is a holiday because I am going to wash and pack and get a million things done on Monday.  Tuesday I am going to work, going to get my hair done then off to the airport for my red-eye flight to NYC.  I am too busy to get excited!  Did I mention I am doing a class with a homework assignment due on Tuesday?  My plate is FULL!  So today I have set my timer for one hour and I am going to blog only for ONE SOLID HOUR!  

What are you up to?

Here and Now

Time: 9:36 am (Saturday)

Drinking:  Green Tea with Lemon and Honey (My blogging drink of choice)

Eating: I might make a bowl of cereal later

 Listening To: Bill Withers Radio on Pandora

Watching: TLC's Flea Market Flip.  I love this show!

Sunday Delight: Mommy-O Day!

Happy Sunday and Happy Mother's Day to you!

This Sunday Delight is a going to have a bit of everything in it since I haven't done one in a few weeks.  Or maybe it's been a month.  WOW!  Time has flown past.  

First let me start by saying 

Happy Mother's Day to my "Mommy-O".  Love you to bits and pieces (from you favorite kid!)

Here and Now

Time: 11:27 am (Saturday)

Drinking:  Green Tea with Lemon and Honey (My blogging drink of choice)

Eating: Nothing

 Listening To: Gospel Radio on Pandora

Watching:   I caught the last hour of the last episode Sunday and now I want to watch it from the beginning.  I am going to get the whole series of The Bible soon.  I think I will try and see as much of it as I can in two sittings. 

Blog Ahead & Go!

Hosted by Anna @Herding Cats and Burning

Today is the start of the coolest blog event EVER!  Blog Ahead!  And just like it says we are going to schedule blog post ahead of time to give ourselves a bit of breathing room. 
Right now I have 9 post scheduled and 8 in draft.  My goal is to get 14 additional blog post completed and scheduled. 

Book Blogger Organization Challenge: March

Hosted by The Book Addict's Guide

This is the second month of Book Blogger Organization Challenge and it feels like a focused and organized Bloggiesta only at your own pace.  I think the next Bloggiesta will be much easier and focused now that I have so many things done.  Love it!

Sunday Delight: Moving Ahead

Happy Sunday Everyone!

How was your week?  Did you get a few/a lot of things done? Get any reading done?

This week was really productive for me.  I have been focusing on getting a few post pre-scheduled and I am aiming to have the rest of this month done today.  I want to start on March on Monday.  My goal is to always have 15-20 post scheduled. So when one gets published then I have to add one more to the stack.   Right now I am nowhere near that number yet.  I did notice that I have a few post I can't do until a day or two before.  Like this one because they are based off of my week and the things that I am actually doing.  So these post don't count.  I am going to have them drafted up at least. 
Other cool news
I hosted my first video chat with an author.  Yes!  Ms. V.E. Schwab author of the book Vicious chatted with the book club ladies on Saturday and it was soo much fun.   We talked about Vicious and her new book A Darker Shade of Magic.  I love finding out the thoughts behind the books.

Well here is my week in bookish stuff

Here and Now

Time: 9:51 am

Drinking: Green tea with lemon and honey

Eating: Nothing

 Listening To: Brand New Heavies Radio on Pandora

Watching: Nothing

Book Blogger Organization Challenge: February

Hosted by The Book Addict's Guide

This is the second month of Book Blogger Organization Challenge and it feels like a focused and organized Bloggiesta only at your own pace.  I think the next Bloggiesta will be much easier and focused now that I have so many things done.  Love it!

Blog Maintenance

1.  Update Sidebar Widgets Done!

2.  Update Footer Widgets Done!

Book Blogger: Blog Stalking

Hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Happy TGIF Everyone!  I hope you have a great Valentine's Day weekend planned.  My honey has planned for us to spend the weekend at the beach in a hotel (I hope).  LOL!

What is Book Blogger Hop all about?

Each week the host at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted writer will prompt a new topic submit by a blogger and everyone can join in with their answers. You should join us! It's quite fun!  No really it is!

This Weeks Topic/Question

February 13th - 19th - Is there anything that makes you keep returning to certain blogs? (submitted by Elizabeth)

Book Blogger Hop: Blog Post Peeves

Hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

It's Friday!!!  I am sooo happy!!  Yipppie! 

 

What is Book Blogger Hop all about?

Each week the host at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted writer will prompt a new topic submit by a blogger and everyone can join in with their answers. You should join us! It's quite fun!  No really it is!

This Weeks Topic/Question

February 6th - 12th - Is there anything that turns you off when you are reading a blog post? For example: two posts in one post such as answers to two memes. (submitted by Elizabeth)

Sunday Delight: High #Fiverr

Happy Sunday Funday everyone!

This week was a big off for me.  My biggest stress was trying to get Mocha Girls Read website up and running again.  Let me tell you this amazing tale real quick.  For weeks the site was a total complete mess.  The image library was missing. Widgets were not working.  The format of the About page was for mobile devises not the website.  NOTHING! was working and I was a bit stressed.  Long story short I asked my cousin to ask the IT person at her job.  He was not sure what was going on.  Then I remembered Dionne of D'Lashes told me about this site Fiverr for looking for post contributors.

   I looked on the site and there was a Wordpress section.  I found the highest recommended person and with the experience I was looking for.  I contacted Takrim at 7am and by 10am everything was up and running perfectly.  OH MY GOD!  Fiverr and Takrim saved my life!  Now if I can get Fiverr to fix my weight like that.  LOL!  

So now that I am happy with the book club site, I'm back to this one.  Trying to play catch up now.  So I have lots to tell you below. 

Here and Now

Time: 4:07 pm  

Drinking: Macha Maker Tea with Lemon and Honey

Eating: Egg Salad Sandwich on a Croissant

 Listening To: Brand New Heavies Radio on Pandora

Watching: Going to the movies with my honey tonight.  Not sure what I'm going to see.  Feeling like I want to stay in and rent one on Apple TV instead.

  Fitness Goal

Starting Weight: 211lbs (12/8/14)

Current Weight: I will weight in next Sunday

Days Worked Out: 1

Let's Talk: Spreadsheets

This year was the first time ever, in my whole life that I made a spreadsheet for my reading and reviewing.  I use spreadsheets at work and I have to say that life is so much easier with them.  Once you set the formulas and the cells are in working order you can just punch in one number and the math, graphs and other items will update themselves.  

I think it was last year that I read a blog post from a fellow book blogger talking about her spreadsheet.  Naturally, I thought that was a bit over the top OCD.  I really did!  I could not understand why it was so important to have a full-on spreadsheet for books.  Just read and review!  Done!  It wasn't rocket science.  Then one day (November 4, 2014 at 8:56 AM), I was overwhelmed with the number of books I was reading for so many challenges and how many I had to review.  I had everything on paper in a notebook but it was not helping me get my thoughts straight.  So I did it!  I started a spreadsheet.  And I am sooo happy I did it.

I started putting down the books I was reading, going to read and all the reading challenges I signed up for.  Just having those down helped ease my mind.  

With the end of the year fast approaching I realized my reading is centered around my spreadsheet because I have reading challenges to finish.  Without my spreadsheet I would be fumbling around in the dark trying to get my last books in.  I still am but not as bad as I might be without it.

Sunday Delight: Making List

Happy Sunday Everyone!

LA got a few days of rain.  It was nice having a few wet days here.  I was hoping it would last much longer.  Not Noah and the Ark longer but a week or two longer because we really need the rain here.  I have to say it makes it finally feel like winter here.  Speaking of winter am I the only one that makes list?  And more list in the winter than any other time of the year?  

So let me explain.  I love making list.  They keep my cluttered mind a bit more organized.  They help me keep things in priority too.  I love making list of all sort.  I have post its with shopping list.  To do list on my desk top.  And don't for get the day planner with monthly list.  I love making list (oops did I say that already.)  I have to say the end of the year is the "Make a List" Month.  For me this is the week to start list making.  Oh wait!  Let's make a list of the to do list I need to make.  hehehehhee

1.  Christmas Present list (divided into before and after Christmas.  So I can buy a few things when they are cheaper)

2.  Best books of 2014 List

3.  2015 New Years Resolutions

4.  Blog to do list for December and January

5.  General life to do list for the week.  (Shopping list, get carpet cleaned and stuff)

6.  Book Club to do list for next meeting.

7.  Create a general reading list for 2015 (Maybe)
8.  List of items to take to the post office. 

Whew!  See I love my list. I actually feel better now that I can see there are only 7 maybe 8 list to do.  Nice!

Oh let's talk about last week and bloggish things.

Here and Now

Time: 2:00 pm
Drinking: Hot Tea with Lemon and Honey

Eating: Cookies

 Listening To: Gospel Radio on Pandora

Watching: Nothing Special

Blog Ahead: Wrap Up

Hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup

 

The challenge was put out there...

I accepted it...

And I almost conquered it...

Almost!

The overall goal for this challenge was to get 30 blog post scheduled in the month of November.  

My Personal Goal was

Create a monthly posting calendar for November and December

Review as many books as possible (I have 10 reviews and 4 mini reviews to do)

Create and Schedule 30 post plus post as much as possible along the way.

Drum roll please.....

Faves Month Introduction

Hosted by  Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella’s Revenge

This month three bloggers are hosting a month long linky meme thing to promote your favorite things.  And guess what?  There is a giveaway too!  I love events with giveaways.

Here is the official blurb.

All December-long, Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella’s Revenge will be sharing our fave bookish (and sometimes not-so-bookish) experiences from throughout the year AND we want YOU to join us! The schedule of topics is posted below – in some cases, we’ll be joining with other bloggers events – and other times, one of us will be hosting a link-up. Plus, there will be 3 GIVEAWAY WINNERS for a book of your choice from Book Depository. Every time you post on one of the topics below, and join the Linky on one of our 3 blogs – you’ll be entered to WIN!  

Faves Month Introduction 

About YOU and Your Reading this year (eg. fave genre, fave author, how you read (percentage (%) physical, eReader, audiobooks), when you read, what genre did you read the most from this year, which author was most prolific on your reading list, how many books did you read, give us a clue about what your fave book read this year is – but don’t tell us – let us guess!) – link-up hosted at Girlxoxo

Write On Review-a-Thon for November: Wrap Up

hosted by The Book Vixen

 Well I have to say....low goals are great! 
When you knock them out you have a real sense of accomplishment.  It's sad but I had a ton of books to review and my goal was to do just one and get one in draft from.  I did it and I had a great time wine tasting in Temecula as well.  (original post)

Blog Ahead Challenge: Goals & Progress (pt. 4)

Hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup

I almost forgot to post my weekly progress for Blog Ahead.  So this one is going to be a week and a few days included.  Week number two point five.  The first week was AMAZING and I got 10 post done.  Then I slacked like nobody's business and got zero done.  Since then I have hustled a bit and now I am at 14 post done with 7 in draft form.  Yeah! Me!

Goals

Create a monthly posting calendar for November and December

Review as many books as possible (I have 10 8 reviews and 4 mini reviews to do)

Create and Schedule 30 post plus post as much as possible along the way.