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. 

I'm Still Here....Kinda

Hi Everyone:

So sorry I haven't been around in awhile but I have my plate over following with stuff.  Let me see since my last real blog post in June I have ....

20 Random Questions Tag

I was not tagged personally but Reanna over at Phantasmic Reads tagged Anna at Herding Cats and Burning Soup (her blog name always makes me smile) and she tagged everyone basically.  So I thought I would jump onto the "Tag" bandwagon as well.  

This tag is 20 random things about me.

1.

How tall are you?

I am 5 feet 4 inches and one of the shortest in my family besides my paternal grandmother who was 4 feet something.  That is where I got the shortness from.

2.

Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what?

Nope!  None!   I wish I did though.  I would love to have a hidden talent of remembering names and faces from early childhood till now.  But nope! If we meet and then you see me again just assume I don't remember your name. Sorry!

Something Old, Something New #3

Something Old Something New is just a monthly post I am adding to my blog to give you a bit of news here there about me, books and the random things going on.

Something Old

Hmmm....This another one that took me awhile to think about.  But a few months ago I found at TJMaxx an adult coloring book.  It's not adult like that but a coloring book for adults and I love it.  This coloring book is so beautiful.  (Click the cover to buy one for yourself)

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!

Bloggiesta Tutorial: Retrieving Missing Disqus Comments

Hosted by Bloggiesta

Welcome to my third Bloggiesta Tutorial!

I learned something new and I thought I can't be the only one who didn't know this.  So I thought Bloggiesta would be the perfect time for me to share my new knowledge with you all.  If you would like to install Disqus onto your blog, check out the cute blog River City Readings and she will give you step by step instructions.  If you have Disqus then read on...

The Problem

Do you use Disqus commenting system on your blog?  Do you subscribe to get newly posted comments send to your email?  Have you ever noticed a comment in your email inbox was not on your blog?

Where did the comment go?

The Answer

The comment is on a different extension based on the country of the commenter.  Do that make sense?  Ok!  If you are a .com blog and I leave a comment on your blog while sitting in a cafe in India then your blog will might have an .in ending instead and that is where the comment lives.  Yes!  On your India version of your site.  When I found this out I had been blogging for a bout 3 years and found 2,000 missing comments. OK!  So now you know the answer let me show you how to fix it.

Something Old Something New #2

Something Old Something New is just a monthly post I am adding to my blog to give you a bit of news here there about me, books and the random things going on.

Something Old

Today I thought I would feature an old book I have sitting on my book shelf collecting dust.  I haven't read it yet but I plan on it (one day)  There are so many to pick from but I selected one from the top of the pile.

Why is it still collecting dust?  Well I go through phases with my reading and when I was on my Biblical Fiction phase I bought this one but realized it was book #2.  (There are only 3 books in the series)  I can't read a series out of order!  OH! NOOO!!  So I need to get book one first.  Then I will get to this one.  But first I need to finish a few incomplete series I have setting here looking at me.  Here is the five year old book!  Click the cover to go to the Amazon page.

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!

Something Old, Something New #1

Around December I thought I would try to do a new feature here at My Little Pocketbooks.  Honestly, I needed something to do for Thursdays.  As you have seen before I have posted memes and other let's chit chat post on Thursdays.  But I want to do something a bit different today.  

Today I am going to feature just two things.  One will be something old/older/oldest and something new/newer/newest.  It might be a book, a purse, or just something I wanted to share with you.  Anything old and anything new counts.  I just made those rules up.  LOL!

Something Old

Valentine's Day was 5 days ago so I count this as old news.  

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day.  My honey surprised me (kinda he told me a week ago) with a trip to Laguna Beach for the weekend.  We stayed at this great hotel right on the beach.  And yes I took pictures for you.  The weather was perfect!  Of course I took a book with me and read on the baloney over looking the beach.  That was the purpose of the trip, right?  LOL! We had a great time and of course there were flowers and dinner involved.

10 Book Related Problems

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Today I thought it would be fun to jump on the Broke and the Bookish meme Top Ten Tuesday and tell you all about my Top 10 Book Related Problems.  If you are a reader then I think you can related to these issues as well.  Because I know I am not alone in this.  But before I begin, a big thank you the host for giving me this opportunity to get these issues out in a positive therapeutic manner.  :) Now on to the the issues with the help of sista girl Nene Leakes.  I picked her because there are a TON! of gifs with her in them.  A TON!  Oh one more thing... these are in no particular order.
Now let's hit it.

1.  Too Many Books

There are just so many books out there.  Every single day of the year there are a ton of new books being published.  And let's not even count the books that were published before I even started reading (I was around 4), before I was born and before that.  It's shocking and overwhelming to think how many books are just out there in the world that I have not read yet. 

 Yes!  This is a book related problem.  How am I suppose to read them all.  We are talking about millions and millions of books.  It's just shocks me to even think about the number of books in the world.

Diversity on the Shelf Reading Challenge: Race Based

*jumping on my soapbox*
*clearing my throat*

I have been quite busy this month getting my other blog Mocha Girls Read back up and running.  Yes!  There were bugs and problems all over the place.  While I was gone from My Little Pocketbooks I made an effort to visit each and every blog that signed up for the 2015 Diversity on the Shelf Reading Challenge.  Lately I have noticed a new thing happening with the sign up post.  A lot of you (participants) are posting the books you are planning on reading with a note how it fits the challenge.  An example would be Native Son by Richard Wright (POC)  That is great but what is the (LGBT) about?

I am writing this post to explain the difference of this reading challenge to other diversity based reading challenges and to let you know why I did it this way.

Book Blogger Organization Challenge: January

Hosted by The Book Addict's Guide

I decided to jump on this challenge so I can step up my blogging and get a bit more organized.  For me, I need to have things written down so I can cross them off my list. So for the month of January the challenge items I have listed here along with my notes and progress on each item in blue. 

If you want to join me and 81 other book blogger in this 6 month cleaning and organization challenge, just simply click the button up top and add your blog to the linky.

Sunday Delight: A Light at the End of the Tunnel

Happy Sunday Everyone!
I have to say that I am surprised at a few things going on with me and with my blog.  Number one.  I have caught up on my reviews.  YEAH!  I feel like at one time I was about 15 books behind.  But now as of today I have 3 mini reviews and 3 regular reviews to do.  That might seem like a lot to you but for me that is so much better than I have been doing.  I plan on drafting one of them as soon as I finish this post too.  So hopefully, when the Review-A-Thon hosted by The Book Vixen rolls around I will only have 1 or 2 to do.  Then I am caught up!!
What is that? A light at the end of the tunnel?
Then.. I have been on a mission to write a blog post a day and now I have 3 days scheduled.  YEAH!!  This is mostly due to the slow phase we are in at work so I'm getting back to my old blogging self.  Ok.  Then...one more thing on the personal.  I am getting soooo caught up on paying off debts and bills.  I have been throwing money at them for the past 6 months and they are shrinking and shrinking like the wicked witch when hit with water.  Credit card debit is at half way.  Back taxes...paid.  Insurance...paid.  All monthly bills...zero balance.  YES!!! 
 I see you light at the end of the tunnel. 

Here and Now

Time: 7:55 am
Drinking: English Breakfast tea with Honey

Eating: Strawberry Yogurt with trail mix
Listening To: Zero 7 Radio on Pandora.
Watching: Nothing!

Thoughtful Thursday: Number of Characters

Hosted by Reading Is Fun Again

Pam over at Reading Is Fun Again started this meme to get a book blogger thoughts on a few bookish things. You know how much I love sharing my thoughts/opinions on stuff, so I thought it would be perfect to add my two cents in too! Stop by her blog and join in on the Thoughtful meme.

I created Thoughtful Thursday, because bookish thoughts kept popping up in my mind while reading, and I wanted to explore these questions and get your opinions too! -From Reading Is Fun Again

Thoughtful Thursday Question

 How many characters do you like to meet and get to know in a book? Do you prefer a book with just a protagonist and a handful of central characters or do you like to meet lots of characters?

My Love and Hate for Bookish Apps

I am a total tech geeky girl and I love my iPad and all the apps on it.  I even named my iPad "baby" and Baby goes everywhere I go.  There are so many great apps out there that combine my love of reading with all the techy stuff.  Books + iPad + Apps = PERFECT LOVE!!
Right now I have my Pandora app playing music as I write this post.  Apps make everything so much easier.

Thoughtful Thursday: Series Type

Hosted by Reading Is Fun Again

Pam over at Reading Is Fun Again started this meme to get a book blogger thoughts on a few bookish things. You know how much I love sharing my thoughts/opinions on stuff, so I thought it would be perfect to add my two cents in too! Stop by her blog and join in on the Thoughtful meme.

I created Thoughtful Thursday, because bookish thoughts kept popping up in my mind while reading, and I wanted to explore these questions and get your opinions too! -From Reading Is Fun Again

Thoughtful Thursday Question

There are lots of different types of series. For example, there are series that are just one long story (e.g., The Lord of the Rings), there are series that follow a character on a set of different adventures (e.g., The Dresden Files and The Sookie Stackhouse novels), and there are series that are a collection of stand alone novels all within the same universe (e.g., Star Wars Universe). What is your favorite type of series?

A Small Break

Hi all!

If you have stopped by here and noticed a few things are not happening... it's because I am taking a small break from blogging.  I wasn't planning on it and just realized it was happening.   Lately, I have been crazy busy with a few small things.  I am a scheduler and when things get off my regular schedule then the whole world seems to fall apart.  That is why I am taking this week and maybe next week to get things back on track. 

I know you are dying to know what has thrown a wrench into my perfectly planned life (LOL!)

I Want to Know...About You Two

Last month, I posted an "All About You" post where I asked you (reader, yes you) 10 questions.
I totally enjoyed getting to know more about you all.  Thanks for participating.  So let's do it again.
Are you ready?

 I promise it will be painless and a bit of fun. 

Now that's more like it.  LOL!  Here we go.

Sunday Delight: More Sleep

 

This past week has been a lot over the top.  I have been working two full time gigs and the 200 miles a day is killing me.  Thanks God I don't have to do it as much next week.  But dang I feel like I need to sleep for 5 solid days to get back to my normal self.  I use to do this in my 20's and I never felt this over worked.  Well that was 20 years ago and I am not that spring chicken running on pure youth anymore.  Lord I need several days of sleep.  YAAWWWNNN!!!!

(I just did it as I was typing it.  LOL)

Forgive me if this post sounds a bit strange.

Here and Now

Time: 10:12 pm (Saturday)
Drinking: Nothing.  To late to drink anything for me

Eating: I had Seafood Coconut Soup and rice for dinner
Listening To: Nothing. 
Watching: Didn't see a movie last weekend like I planned.  Nothing here.

Thoughtful Thursday: The DNF List

Hosted by Reading Is Fun Again

Pam over at Reading Is Fun Again started this meme to get a book blogger thoughts on a few bookish things. You know how much I love sharing my thoughts/opinions on stuff, so I thought it would be perfect to add my two cents in too! And stop by Pam's blog to see her new and cute blog design.

I created Thoughtful Thursday, because bookish thoughts kept popping up in my mind while reading, and I wanted to explore these questions and get your opinions too! -From Reading Is Fun Again

Thoughtful Thursday Question

Do you DNF (do not finish) books? Do you call it that or do you call it something else? Do you tell people when you DNF a book or do you act like you never read it at all? How have your DNF habits changed over the years?