Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is things getting in the way of reading. This is a fun topic, because it helps us get to know each other better, and I'm sure all of us can relate to the fact that although we might want to be reading 24/7, there are other things that need to be done, too!
- Being a mom. It's not a bad thing, but being a parent obviously takes up a lot of time! Because he's still so little, Henry needs a lot of supervision, so it's hard to get reading done around him (although sometimes I do try to sneak in a few pages - it's good that he sees me reading, too, right?).
- Work. I'm extremely lucky that my "full-time" status is only 30 hours a week, and since I work from home most of the time, I don't have a commute, but work definitely takes up most of my Monday through Friday!
- Being a wife. Spending time with my husband is important and usually consists of us having lunch together during the week or watching a favorite show in the evening.
- Taking care of the house. Other than cooking, most of the indoor household chores fall to me. It's not so much that each one individually takes a long time, but they all need to be done, all the time!
- Real Housewives. Tom and I have certain shows we watch together, but Real Housewives episodes are definitely just a solo guilty pleasure, so I have to watch them after my guys have gone to bed, which definitely cuts into my reading time.
- Puzzles. I'm kind of obsessed with jigsaw puzzles, and when I start one, I can't help but ignore most things until I finish it!
- Blogging. It might seem a little weird, but yes, blogging can get in the way of reading. I used to have so many pre-planned posts, but I just have less time these days. On weekend afternoons when Henry is napping, I have about 2 hours to get anything done I need to, and sometimes I have to choose between reading or prepping some posts for the upcoming days.
- Exercise. I'll be honest, I don't exercise that much, but I do try to get in walks when I can. I could listen to audiobooks, but I generally listen to podcasts because they're so much shorter and more manageable.
- Sleep. My sleep has never been stellar as an adult, and of course it's only gotten worse since I've become a parent, so most nights I try to be in bed by 9:30pm.
- Indecision. I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to make decisions (just ask my sister, who I call to discuss even the most mundane things). It ranges from little things (what coffee pods should I buy this week) to more important things (what should I pack for Henry's lunch that is healthy, tasty, and something he will actually not throw on the floor) to the inevitable, what should I read next? Sometimes I just sit down to think about these things, and boom, I've wasted a lot of time.
What is getting in the way of your reading lately?
Oh I can relate to this list -- little things do pile up (along with the big things!) Right now, it's the house, it's starting my virtual assistant business and figuring that out, and my doggo and lots of little things that just pile up out of nowhere it seems like sometimes.
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly! There are always big things, but sometimes we forget about the little things that also take a lot of time!
DeleteYou’re in a busy stage of life right now for sure!
ReplyDeleteI love jigsaw puzzles, too.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-things-getting-in-the-way-of-reading/
Definitely, but it's good!
Delete#1 is the biggest for me. It's usually a good thing, though.
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes, usually!
DeleteWork definitely cuts into my reading time. lol Between getting ready in the morning, my to/from commute, and being at the office... there goes 10-11 hours of my day!
ReplyDeleteOof, that is a lot!!
DeleteAll of these definitely do take up so much time! I've had work, sleep and blogging on my list as well - they definitely take away from our reading time :)
ReplyDeleteI know!!
DeleteAt first I thought you were going to tell us your husband watched the Housewives with you. HA! That's awesome that you have a 30 hour workweek and work from home full time. I am gone for work 12.5 hours a day. Moming was the biggest committment though. I actually didn't start pleasure reading again until my daughter went to college.
ReplyDeleteLOL, definitely not!! He can't stand Housewives. Yes, I'm very lucky with my work schedule - 12+ hours is a long time to be out! Moming is the big one - I usually don't read until after he goes to bed.
DeleteI'll just pick your next book for you. There, decision made!
ReplyDeleteI thank you, sir - will hold you to that!
DeleteParenting little ones definitely makes reading tough! They take so much of your time and energy. I definitely miss those days, though. Enjoy them while they last :)
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
Thank you, Susan! It's crazy how fast it's going already.
DeleteYes to all of this and for me it's baseball games. Both of my sons are playing this year and my youngest just joined another baseball team, so I spent a lot of time at the baseball field. I am trying to rely on audio books more this summer!
ReplyDeleteYes, gotta find those ways to get reading in!
DeleteI feel you on so many of these, Angela!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stephanie!
DeleteBeing a mom and a wife definitely cuts into my reading time, but that isn't really a bad thing. Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteNo, definitely not a bad thing!
DeleteI often have to choose between blogging and reading as well! There's just not enough time for everything!
ReplyDeleteSo true!!
DeleteWork and blogging definitely cut into my reading time too! I used to listen to music whilst I went running but over the pandemic, I switched to audiobooks because I didn't have commute to listen to them on anymore and I've not gone back, it's been a great way of getting extra reading in.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/05/17/top-ten-tuesday-420/
That's awesome! I used to listen to audiobooks on my commute, too, but now they take me so long to get through, that I often don't finish before I have to return them to the library.
DeleteOh man, I feel you on some of these! Indecision is one of my biggest problems in life and it can really get in the way of a lot! I also find myself sometimes having to decide between reading or planning blog posts/doing other fun activities like puzzling–it's hard to fit it all in there! And being a wife is one I hadn't really considered, but very true! I usually read during lunch on weekdays and sometimes dinners, but there are times when we actually get to eat together and so naturally I don't read then, which does take away from reading time, haha. But quality time is always important. :) I wish we could all just have more time to read (as long as we actually spend that time reading, haha!).
ReplyDeleteYes, it's such a balancing act! There are so many things that need to be done.
DeleteI skipped this topic but so many of these would have made my list as well. Definitely work and of course everything that comes with being a mom and wife.
ReplyDeleteYes, just so many responsibilities!
DeleteOh gosh, indecision takes up so much of my time too, that's such a good one for the list. Especially frustrating when I could've read a whole book in the days it takes me to decide what to read next lol.
ReplyDeleteExactly! I spend way too much time thinking about it.
DeleteVery true!
ReplyDelete