Fill your crannies and nooks
With lots and lots of books
Nooks and crannies remind me of an English muffin full of hollow spaces awaiting butter. Yum. Nooks and crannies also remind me of an old, unique house with strange small storage spaces and room for a bookshelf here or there. Shelves to be filled with books, cozy reading corners, and time to read.
So grab a buttery English muffin and think about how great it would be to have endless time to read in a cozy spot. Okay, now that dream is over… let’s get real. Most of us are very busy and if we don’t make time to read, it just doesn’t happen. But we all have a few short moments here and there in which we can do what we please, so here are my suggestions for finding time to read in those nooks and crannies of your day.
Read in the car. Not while you’re driving, but you can read while you’re waiting for a napping child to wake up, or if you arrive at an appointment a few minutes early. Read while you’re traveling as long as someone else is driving.
Read while you work. I’ve worked non-stop for many years, so I’m accustomed to spending many hours of my week at work. I have worked a couple of desk jobs where my main role was to be available for customers the second a phone rang. When those jobs had quiet moments, I would read. As a babysitter and nanny for many years, I take advantage of the quiet times to read a book of my own. Of course, I do not recommend that you read when you should actually be doing a task at work.
Read while the kids are quiet. If you’re an at-home parent or a nanny like me, you know that kids take up much of your time and energy. Sure, there is always something to do, but when your kids are happily playing or sleeping, steal a moment for yourself and pick up a book. Feed your mind or relax a little.
Read on the go. I have carried books into doctor’s office waiting rooms to pass the time, and I have done the same in the checkout line at Costco. If the book fits in my purse it often goes with me! And while you’re at it, read while you go… keep a book in the bathroom for those moments.
Read electronically. Since becoming a Kindle user I have appreciated the versatility of reading from an e-reader. I can read in the dark, I can carry my Kindle with me on a trip instead of a stack of books in case I have a quiet moment. The Kindle is a great way to read while working out on a treadmill, stationary bike, or elliptical. Add a Kindle app to your phone, and the book you’re reading goes with you wherever you go!
Of course, if you have longer stretches of time, reading in bed is a wonderful way to relax and take your mind off of your own day before you go to sleep. Read if you have a quiet hour on the weekends. Read if you have down time on vacation. Please, just read, read, read!
(This post was originally posted here: http://chixpartyoffive.com/2014/08/fill-your-mind-with-books-betsy/.)
Here are some books that I recommend, as found in previous blog posts:
My most recent list of what I’m reading
What I was reading a couple of years ago
Books by Neta Jackson
- - - - - - - - - -
Hi, I’m Betsy, and I live in the Washington, D.C. area with my husband, Mike. We have been married since 2008. We enjoy exploring new cities together on foot, eating at our favorite Italian restaurants, and doing life as a team. I published my first book Embracing Hope During Infertility in January 2015. You can learn more about me here. I invite you to connect with me by following my Hope During Infertility Facebook page or my Betsy Herman, Writer Facebook page. Thanks so much for reading my posts!
So grab a buttery English muffin and think about how great it would be to have endless time to read in a cozy spot. Okay, now that dream is over… let’s get real. Most of us are very busy and if we don’t make time to read, it just doesn’t happen. But we all have a few short moments here and there in which we can do what we please, so here are my suggestions for finding time to read in those nooks and crannies of your day.
Read in the car. Not while you’re driving, but you can read while you’re waiting for a napping child to wake up, or if you arrive at an appointment a few minutes early. Read while you’re traveling as long as someone else is driving.
Read while you work. I’ve worked non-stop for many years, so I’m accustomed to spending many hours of my week at work. I have worked a couple of desk jobs where my main role was to be available for customers the second a phone rang. When those jobs had quiet moments, I would read. As a babysitter and nanny for many years, I take advantage of the quiet times to read a book of my own. Of course, I do not recommend that you read when you should actually be doing a task at work.
Read while the kids are quiet. If you’re an at-home parent or a nanny like me, you know that kids take up much of your time and energy. Sure, there is always something to do, but when your kids are happily playing or sleeping, steal a moment for yourself and pick up a book. Feed your mind or relax a little.
Read on the go. I have carried books into doctor’s office waiting rooms to pass the time, and I have done the same in the checkout line at Costco. If the book fits in my purse it often goes with me! And while you’re at it, read while you go… keep a book in the bathroom for those moments.
Read electronically. Since becoming a Kindle user I have appreciated the versatility of reading from an e-reader. I can read in the dark, I can carry my Kindle with me on a trip instead of a stack of books in case I have a quiet moment. The Kindle is a great way to read while working out on a treadmill, stationary bike, or elliptical. Add a Kindle app to your phone, and the book you’re reading goes with you wherever you go!
Of course, if you have longer stretches of time, reading in bed is a wonderful way to relax and take your mind off of your own day before you go to sleep. Read if you have a quiet hour on the weekends. Read if you have down time on vacation. Please, just read, read, read!
(This post was originally posted here: http://chixpartyoffive.com/2014/08/fill-your-mind-with-books-betsy/.)
Here are some books that I recommend, as found in previous blog posts:
My most recent list of what I’m reading
What I was reading a couple of years ago
Books by Neta Jackson
- - - - - - - - - -
Hi, I’m Betsy, and I live in the Washington, D.C. area with my husband, Mike. We have been married since 2008. We enjoy exploring new cities together on foot, eating at our favorite Italian restaurants, and doing life as a team. I published my first book Embracing Hope During Infertility in January 2015. You can learn more about me here. I invite you to connect with me by following my Hope During Infertility Facebook page or my Betsy Herman, Writer Facebook page. Thanks so much for reading my posts!
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