Coffee Talk | Currently Loving…Audiobooks at Work, Wireless Headphones, Barre Necessity & Fun at the Fair!

August 18, 2019August 18, 2019 ~ Genevieve ~ Leave a comment

Checking-in:

Hello! How is your weekend going? I am sitting down with a big mug of coffee to write this and then I need to finish editing a wedding because we are leaving for MAINE tomorrow!!

Currently Loving…Audiobooks at Work!

During my heavy editing season audiobooks get me through the long hours of sitting at the computer. My work is heavily creative so I am able to listen while I work which is amazing! Speaking of audiobooks, I finished The Most Fun We Ever Had this past week which I alternated reading and listening too. I shared more over on Instagram but I think it might be my favorite book ever!

I also decided to go the Audible route to help finish Red, White & Royal Blue and it is amazing on audio. I am hoping to finish it today. Have you read this yet? It has had some raving reviews and I can see why.

Wireless Headphones for the Win!

I had a lot of DMs about which headphones I have after I posted about them HERE.

I have the Tao Tronic wireless headphones. I got them last year after reading a lot of reviews and not being sure if I wanted to make a huge financial commitment. These are currently on sale for $39 and are awesome! I strongly dislike earbuds(and I can’t get them to stay in my ears) and I don’t care about whether I look cool or not, so they are great!

They have many uses which include listening to audiobooks and tuning out your noisy family. I also wear them at work when I am listening to a true-crime podcast because Kristy is afraid of them, ha! I also love wearing them around the house when I am vacuuming or putting away laundry…it makes the time fly by! I also love that I can listen to something without having my phone right next to me because I get less distracted by it that way.

Busy Season:

This last week has been a lot of tying up loose ends and finished all our work projects before we took a few days off. Summer in Vermont is short but intense and that means photography work here is similar. During the summer we are in a constant cycle of editing, lots of backend communication and sending out galleries and prints, etc. This does not even include all the work Kristy does to take the photos!

I am lucky to work with someone who is so organized because it is a lot to manage. Kristy recently set up whiteboards that look similar to the patient boards they have at hospital nursing stations, and it is fabulous!

Childcare in August…

The last couple of weeks before school usually mean that summer activities have ended and beloved babysitters have headed back to college! This means we did a lot of working with kids this week which is always a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

They were at home with me, at work with Lucas, spent some time with grandparents and also came to work with us at Kristy’s. Flynn’s mismatched shoes are a good representation of this past week inside my head, ha!

Summertime Self-care:

While I haven’t been going as regularly, barre is essential to my mental well being so I have been prioritizing that as much as possible. During the school year I go on my way to work but these days I go whenever I can get there, early morning, midday or afternoon classes.

This is probably good for me as I am a very routined person and it has pushed me out of my comfort zone a bit. I have met some new barre buddies which is always the best! I still freak out if I can’t go in my specific spot in the room though…baby steps!

Fitting in Reading:

I bring my kindle along with me during the day and read when I can but most of my reading during the summer happens in the evening. During the school year, I have a lot more chunks of alone time in between meetings, appointments and dropping off and picking up the kids. This time of the year, I AM NEVER ALONE, ha.

Kids Books We Love…

Julia Rothman Collection

Speaking of kids and reading, I get a lot of questions about how we get our kids to love reading. I am not an expert by any means but my love of reading came from being read to as a child and always having access to books.

I vividly remember riding my bike to the library and picking out whatever books I wanted to read…and then trying to figure out how to ride home while carrying them out without the foresight to bring a bag, ha!

(Ninjago | Dog Man | Pokemon Essential Guidebook | Frog & Toad Storybook Favorites | The Julia Rothman Collection )

So we have always read with our kids and had a lot of books around. We also try to be open-minded about what they want to read, even when the are into super annoying books like Pokemon, Lego and graphic novels like Dog Man and Hi-Lo. I know people have strong feelings about this but I a big believer in the idea that reading is reading even if some of it might not be “ideal”.

We try to enforce at least 20 minutes of reading time a day whether it is on their own or with us. This has been a bit lax during the last couple of months but during the school year, it is a before bedtime requirement.

I had big plans to do a whole post about book suggestions that our kids love last spring and I never got around to it. I have big plans for September and I plan on sharing a more detailed post then!

Vermont Summer Living…

We have been embracing all the wonderful parts of this time of year while also looking forward to school starting again so we can get some of our regular structure back. Summer is great and school is too!

Addison County Fair & Field Days!

Speaking of embracing the wonderful parts of this year, I never posted about our trip to the fair! We visited the Addison County Fair last week which has been one of my summer traditions since I was a toddler myself. I love reminiscing about all my memories there while also seeing how much our kids love it. Lucas grew up in the big city of Burlington so he is still unsure about it all but I think it is growing on him. 😉

We planned accordingly so we could attend the Demotion Derby. We also had lots of fair food including fried Oreos. It was a pretty rainy week but this night ended up being just beautiful.

End of Summer Reading:

We have been soaking in all in and I have big reading planning to finish off our summer vacation. I am a last-minute packer but I have been thinking about what books I want to bring to Maine for weeks!! I think I have narrowed it down and I will keep you updated over at @genthebookworm.

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend! <3

You’ve Been Volunteered Blog Tour! | Q&A with Author Laurie Gelman | GIVEAWAY!

August 16, 2019August 25, 2019 ~ Genevieve ~ Leave a comment

Blog Tour:

Yesterday I shared my book review for You’ve Been Volunteered, the newest book release by author Laurie Gelman. If you missed it you can see it HERE. Today I am excited to share my stop on the Blog Tour with a Q&A with Laurie Gelman herself!

Author Q&A:

There is something so special about getting to know the person behind the writing and not only did I have the chance to learn more about Gelman but I was able to ask the questions!

Laurie Gelman is a New York City-based writer and mother of two who spent 25 years as a broadcaster in both Canada and the US – including stints on Good Morning America, The Early Show on CBS, and The Mom Show – before trying her hand at writing novels. Her first book, Class Mom garnered rave reviews from several places including The New York Times, People magazine, and Good Housekeeping, and it was just included in Parade’s list of books Mom will love. Gelman’s writing has been compared to Lauren Weisberger’s, Maria Semple’s and Sophie Kinsella’s.

And on to the Questions and Answers!

Q: As a parent, is there a character you relate with most in your fiction books?

A: I guess I would have to say that I identify with Jen the most because she is my protagonist, but I think there is a little of me in all the characters…even Shirleen! Most people can identify with Jen and her quest to try to be a better person…even if she doesn’t quite get there.

Q: What were your highs and lows of having elementary-aged children?

A: You know, as you’re living through those years there seems to always be something going on at school – some project to be helped with, a stack of flashcards to go over and a birthday party to get ready for. And there are highs and lows in all those things. But if I had to pick one of each I’d say the high was watching my child present something in front of the class for the first time and the low was being told at 9PM at night that she needed a pilgrim costume for the next morning. Thank goodness for Google!

Q: How has humor helped you navigate the rollercoaster ride of parenting?

A: Well, I think it’s a defense mechanism against bursting into tears every five seconds. Anything involving your kids and OPC’s (other people’s children!) is always a minefield of emotion. If you can see the funny side of things, you can avoid a lot of explosions. But if you’re alone in finding things funny, well then I guess you write a book about it!

Thank you so much for sharing, Laurie!

GIVEAWAY TIME:

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

In celebration of the release of You’ve Been Volunteered, I am partnering with Henry Holt & Co. to offer ONE reader a giveaway of You’ve Been Volunteered, Class Mom, a fabulous “Ron’s Gym and Tan” T-shirt, and the chance for Laurie Gelman to Skype into your giveaway winner’s book club. How awesome is that?! And just in time for back to school season…

TO ENTER:

Follow along at @genthebookworm on Instagram

2. Like this post on Instagram

3. Tag a friend (up to five people)

4. For an extra TWO votes please like and follow along on my Gen The Bookworm Facebook Page… My last giveaway winner did this so it is totally worth it! 😉

The winner will be selected on Sunday, August 18th at 8:00 EST. This giveaway is limited to US Residents only due to shipping. The books and bag will be shipped directly from Henry Holt & Co. so the winner will need to be willing to share their address with both me and the publisher. This giveaway is not associated with Instagram or Facebook.

Good luck!!

You’ve Been Volunteered by Laurie Gelman | Henry Holt & Co. | Book Review

August 15, 2019August 15, 2019 ~ Genevieve ~ 1 Comment

You’ve Been Volunteered by Laurie Gelman

Book Summary:

“If you’ve ever been a room parent or school volunteer, Jen Dixon is your hero. She says what every class mom is really thinking, whether in her notoriously frank emails or standup-worthy interactions with the micromanaging PTA President and the gamut of difficult parents. Luckily, she has the charm and wit to get away with it―most of the time. Jen is sassier than ever but dealing with a whole new set of challenges, in the world of parental politics and at home.

She’s been roped into room-parenting yet again, for her son Max’s third grade class, but as her husband buries himself in work, her older daughters navigate adulthood, and Jen’s own aging parents start to need some parenting themselves, Jen gets pulled in more directions than any one mom, or superhero, can handle.

Refreshingly down-to-earth and brimming with warmth, Dixon’s next chapter will keep you turning the pages to find out what’s really going on under the veneer of polite parent interactions, and have you laughing along with her the whole way.”

Publication Date:

July 23rd, 2019

Book Genre:

Humorous Fiction

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣

My Review:

You’ve Been Volunteered is the follow up to Laurie Gelman’s first fiction novel, Class Mom. As the parent to two grade school-aged children, I find her writing hysterical and super relatable.

Parenting is hard and sometimes you just need to laugh. Humor can get you through so much and Gelman’s writing style is relatable and witty. She makes light of things that most any parent with school-aged children can relate to while also addressing general family life with kids. I enjoyed that while the book was humorous she was able to

You’ve Been Volunteered is a wonderful addition and sticks with Gelman’s light and quirky writing style. It is the perfect escape reading for this time of the year as summer winds down and the school year is quickly approaching.

I am excited to be a part of the blog tour for You’ve Been Volunteered thanks to Rachel at Over The River Public Relations. Tomorrow (8/16/19) I will be sharing a Q&A with Laurie Gelman and a book & t-shirt giveaway to one of my readers, so stay tuned!

Thank you to NetGalley & Henry Holt & Co. for a copy of this book. All opinion are my own.