January 8th 2023
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kim @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.
News at Home
Going back to work after a long break always sucks, right? Like, no matter how good your job is or how much you like it, it’s better to be off I think. I enjoyed Monday at home with Dante and Kiko, but Tuesday it was back to work. And, unfortunately, my two days in the office for this month were Tuesday and Wednesday. So it was back to work AND to the office. When I got to the office on Tuesday my boss asked me if I could demo one of our apps at a meeting we had Wednesday. It was a meet and greet meeting with our new VP (my boss’s boss’s new boss) and we had to give him a walk through of all our projects. He told me he wanted to make sure the VP knew who I was. A compliment, sure, but um also nerve wracking. Especially since I had been working on the Fresh App the past two months and haven’t touched the Kitchen App (the one he asked me to demo) this whole time. Long story short — there were a lot of problems, but I managed to get the app ready for demo about 2 hours before the meeting… and we ended up running out of time to show all the apps, including Kitchen. I thought that meant I had escaped but Friday an appointment showed up on my calendar to present the app in a couple weeks, so no, I did not escape. On the positive, they did take us out to lunch on both Tuesday and Wednesday (they normally do the two days we’re in office). On Tuesday, they took us to this really good Indian restaurant and ordered a traditional Indian family meal – several courses and took 2 hours. It was a real treat and the bulk of my workday was at work. I also had lots of leftovers to take home.
I’m still trying to figure out a good rhythm for my day-to-day. I’ve learned that I really don’t want to use the weekends for chores and errands – it’s time with Dante and friends. And my work schedule is actually not so bad most the time so I really can use about 2 hours each day for tasks. So I’m trying to designate 1 day each week to different goals. Starting next week, I’ll make Monday budget/bills day, Tuesday health/meal planning/meditation day, Wednesday blogging day, Thursday household chores and meal prepping day, Friday Self-Care (from nail appointments to simply a couple hours watching MAFS) day. I’ll see how it goes. And then in the evenings while Kiko is putting Dante to bed, I’m trying to get my blog visiting in. Stay tuned next week for how it goes.
Dante had a great week – his therapists have shifted a bit with the new year (due to their school schedules… most are studying to be BCBAs) and he adapted really well and has already started learning their names. On Wednesday Uncle Phil picked him up since I was at work late (past 3, his pickup time) for my meeting and he had a blast with his Tio Phil (as he calls him, in Spanish). Thursday we took the train and visited Tio Phil and Tio Zach for about an hour. And then Friday we went out for a family dinner to Applebees. Saturday was a lazy day at home but he did get a walk with his tricycle.
Blog News
If you haven’t had a chance yet, please vote for our My TBR List for January. We’ll announce the winning book next Saturday.
Last week on Because Reading
- [3 Jan] Tell Me Something Tuesday: 2023 goals
- [4 Jan] #BookishRes2023 – My Bookish Resolutions for 2023 #booklovers
- [5 Jan] Ties That Bind by Colleen Helme ★★★★½
- [6 Jan] Always Be My Banshee by Molly Harper ★★★★
- [6 Jan] One Fine Fae by Molly Harper ★★★★
- [6 Jan] Shifters in the Night by Molly Harper ★★★★
- [6 Jan] A Farewell to Charms by Molly Harper ★★★★
- [7 Jan] #MyTBRL Choices and Linky: January 2023
- [8 Jan] Sunday Post with Berls | January 8th 2023
Challenge update
This week I finished:
I’m participating in 8 Challenges, plus the Goodreads Challenge, this year. Here’s how I’m doing.
- COYER Upside Down Chapter 1 1 book
- Finishing the Series – my goal is 5-8 series.
- Library Love – 1/60 books
- Thrifty Thursday – my goal is 1 book each month:
- January –
- 2023 Audiobook Challenge – 1/100 books
- Backlist Reader Challenge – 1/50 books
- Bookish Resolutions – here are my goals:
- Review all books on goodreads within 1 week of reading them. Wrote my review for Shades of Wicked tonight, so I’m on track so far!
- Keep up with My TBR List each month! We posted our voting post yesterday and are making great progress on our Buddy Read for the review.
- Complete all my COYER tasks on time. So far, on track!
- Sunday Post at least once each month. Today makes 2 🙂
- Set aside minimum 1 hour each week for blogging. I definitely blogged more than 1 hour this week. I even did some visiting.
- 12 books from 12 friends – I shared the graphic in my first Sunday Post of the year but here are the books my friends have picked for me: (I haven’t read any yet)
- Filthy Rich Vampire by Geneva Lee Albin
- The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
- Morning Star by Pierce Brown
- Slay by Brittney Morris
- Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne
- Blacktop Wasteland by SA Cosby
- A Psalm for the WIld-Built by Becky Chambers
- Discipline is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control by Ryan Holiday
- The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky
- What Angels Fear by CS Harris
- The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
- The Darkening by Sunya Mara
#FitReaders2023
Felicia the Geeky Blogger and Jen @ That’s What I’m Talking About co-host this fitness-oriented group and I’m glad to be part of it for another year.
Goals for 2023:
I’m kinda done with the scale and trying to lose weight this year y’all. I fluctuate between 80 – 90 pounds over my goal weight, which is a lot I know. But when I consider that this is a full 260 pounds less than I weighed 10 years ago, it still feels like success, if that makes sense? I had gotten down to just 40 pounds over my goal weight, but then I had a baby, tried to work from home with a 6 month old, and now there’s the whole new career and toddler with autism and it’s just a lot. So this year I’m just focusing on habits that make me feel good and may/may not lead to weight loss. And rather over-arching year long goals, I’ll be updating my goals on a week-by-week basis.
This week: I’m trying to get back into my water habit right now. I bought a Cirkul and I’m enjoying it. It’s helping me to increase my water intake and also to cut back on the soda a bit. I’ve also been using this app called Water Llama (let me know if you want it, I think if I send you referral links I get points or something). It’s really easy to track straight from my watch, gives good reminders, and – what’s really cool – you can track other beverages as well so you see your hydration, not just pure water.
Next week: I’m taking Buffy to the Vet on Tuesday, which cuts into my plan for making Tuesday my health day. But I’m going to try and get in at least my meal planning and some meditation this week.
That sounds stressful you had to show off that demo, too bad you didn’t escape it, but I hope the extra time to prepare is helpful. That’s nice they treated you to lunch, that Indian restaurant sounds really good, I like Indian food. I hope your new rhythm works out, I like your idea of keeping your weekend for yourself, your family and friends. I hope you’ll have a great week!
I was eying the Llama app for water (it was highlighted in the Apple’s best of 2022 apps). I currently use a simple app that works so I haven’t been too aggressive about changing. Glad work and family went well last week. I like your fitness goals – working on one habit is smart. Also on the organization trying to keep weekends more for family. I’m very lucky because I work part time and have Monday’s off. That’s my get everything done day. I hope you have a good week ahead.
I hope you find a good schedule groove for the new year and that Buffy’s vet day goes ok.
Karen @For What It’s Worth
I think you need to be a bit kinder to yourself, you works so hard at everything!
Wishing you a great reading week
(reposting my comment here, after I accidentally posted it on the wrong post!)
I’m glad to hear things are going so well at work. You’ll do well demoing the Kitchen App, I’m sure. And I’m glad Dante is doing so well, too!
Divvying up your weekly tasks throughout the weekdays sounds like a great plan. I should do that for basic housecleaning chores (which I hate doing, and always end up putting off.) And I think you’re absolutely right to concentrate on healthy, feel-good habits this year, instead of weight loss.
Yeah I really want my weekends to be for things I want (usually napping and binging tv). The first week back is always tough and it feels more exhausting than normal!
So true! I’ve noticed everyone seems to be saying something along those lines on their posts today – glad to know it’s not just me lol. We’ll see how this new routine of mine works out but I’m hoping not having work to do on the weekends will be more relaxing and enjoyable .
Yes I agree, the weekends should not be fore errands! I hope your time management plan works for you. Yay! Slay is on your list,I hope you love it! I did audion version and it was really enjoyable.
I’m looking forward to Slay- glad to know it’s good in audio too! We’ll see how the new routine works, but I’m hopeful 🙂 Have a great week!
It’s always an adjustment and you have a lot of irons in the fire. It’s exciting to get an update 2 weeks in a row! Another Ian book this week!
I do, it’s true! Yep, hoping to get in a Sunday Post every week… we’ll see. Already loving the Ian book 🙂
Ah man! They moved the presentation???!!! At least now you have some more time to work with it, I guess. I love your new schedule for yourself. I have to figure out something but I’m not sure what. Catching back up post college is….more difficult than I thought. I think I have an idea but I need to work out the details of it yet.
Your Indian lunch sounds so good!! It sounds like your workplace really knows how to treat its employees.
Let’s hope this week is a little more low-key!
It’s a change, even if in theory better, change is hard. You’ll find your rhythm! And this 4/10 is awesome, but again, it’s change so it’ll take some adjustment.
I do have a pretty good job, it’s true. I never dreamed Walmart of all places would be so good a place to work!