Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Shocking Facts about Time & IWSG


Do you ever think about time?

A quick shout and thank you to Yolanda Renee who has me over today talking about 5 Reasons Not to Be a Psychopath. Check it out!


Back to time...

I write a series about time manipulation, so it's kinda par for the course, but lately I've been thinking about real time--and not just in a day, in a lifetime.

The average American spends:

26 years sleeping

11 years watching TV

10.3 years working

8 years shopping (for women)

5 years browsing online

4.3 years driving a car

4 years on the phone

3.66 years eating

2.5 years cooking

1.5 years in the bathroom

1.1 years cleaning

That's a whopping 77.36 years!

An article my brother sent got me thinking even more--one about actual time spent on relationships. It's super fascinating and you can find it HERE, but let me sum up some shocking facts:

In the first 18 years of your life, you've probably spent 90% of the time you will with your parents. For someone in their mid-30's, that leaves only about 300 more days with parents if they live to 90 years. The statistic is similar for siblings--leaving that number closer to 85% after leaving home. Trickle that down to other relatives, close friends, etc, and you begin to see how precious a few hours may be.

And that's why...

I spend an average of 10 to 12 hours a week on blogging. ("WHAT?!?" you say, "But you only post once a week!") It's true. I only post once a week. So how does that work?
  • I spend between 30 minutes and 1 hour a week communicating with author's I'll feature, people who win prizes, calendaring, etc.
  • about 1/2 to 1.5 hrs researching material to share and writing posts 
  • 30 minutes prepping tweets to get the word out 
  • and an average of 8 hours visiting blogs
That 10 to 12 hours doesn't even include time to reply to the comments on my blog!

That's 10 to 12 CONSCIOUS hours a week I don't spend playing with/teaching my children, or writing. (Both of which are my priorities right now--especially the children when considering the above stats.)

And here's what it boils down to: I'm going to drop back to blogging once a month for March and April. (Hoping that will get me through deep edits on TIMELESS.) There will still be giveaways. There will still be fun. There will still be cheese. There will also be some crazy editing happening here, around the crazy crazy of my wonderful family.

How are you spending your time?


Now how about a giveaway?

Last week Anna Soliveres shared with us CRIMSON EARTH, along with two truths and a lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win both VIOLET STORM and CRIMSON EARTH in eBook.

The Game:



1. Anna was once surprised by a friend whom she thought was coming to visit her, only to be roped to go for coffee and an awkward trip to the Museum. It later occurred to her that she was being taken on a date.
2. She saw the movie, Momma Mia, starring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, and Pierce Brosnan; finding no luck in her dating life, she was convinced Greece might offer her the perfect romantic opportunity.
3. A date once broke up with her and then immediately offered her a donut. 

The lie: #2. Although Anna was inspired by Momma Mia, she went to Greece shucking off any ideas of romance, in favor of a grander adventure: finding her next story.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...


Congrats, Julia!

And now for this week's feature...

In the kingdom of Lovero, nine rival Families of assassins lawfully kill people for a price. As a highly skilled member of one of these powerful clans, seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana has always trusted in the strength of her Family. Until she awakens to find them murdered and her home in flames. The Da Vias, the Saldanas’ biggest enemy, must be responsible—and Lea should have seen it coming. But her secret relationship with the Da Vias’ son, Val, has clouded her otherwise killer instinct—and given the Da Vias more reason than ever to take her Family down.

Racked with guilt and shattered over Val’s probable betrayal, Lea sets out to even the score, with her heart set on retaliation and only one thought clear in her mind: make the Da Vias pay.

With shades of The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet, this richly imagined fantasy from debut author Sarah Ahiers is a story of love, lies, and the ultimate vengeance.
Get your copy HERE.

Ready to meet the author?

Sarah Ahiers has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults and lives in Minnesota with three dogs and a house full of critters. She has a collection of steampunk hats and when she’s not writing she fills her time with good games, good food, good friends and good family.

Sarah writes Young Adult and Middle Grade novels and occasionally dabbles in Picture Books. Fantasy is her favorite genre, though she sometimes can be found playing around with Horror and other things that go bump in the night.

You might find her munching on a parmesan/gouda hybrid like A Dutch Hybrid Vincent, or a great cheddar like Kerrygold’s Skellig (which is a sweet cheddar), or having a meat, cheese and cracker tray for lunch.

Find Sarah online HERE!

Sarah gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to an print edition of ASSASSINS HEART! (U.S. Only)

You have until Tuesday, April 5, at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on March 6, 8 a.m EDT.
TRUTH OR LIE

1. I came in second place in my middle school’s spelling bee when I was in 6th grade
2. I played the violin for ten years.
3. I have had a myriad of pets, including: dogs, goldfish, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, squirrels, horse, anoles, tree frogs, & cockatiels.

So sleuths, which is the lie? How about it? Where do you think most of your time goes in a week? A month? Did you find any of these stats shocking? What do you wish you could spend more time doing?

115 comments:

  1. I won't even scare you with my blogging time. Scaling back to complete your work is a good idea. It is precious.
    I'm pretty sure number three is correct since Sarah likes animals. I'll say the second one is the lie.

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    1. Oh scare me! I'm shocked by Crstal' stats.

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  2. Hmmm, I think number one is the lie. it's easy to lose ten years in a hobby, and violin is a beautiful ininstrument.

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  3. I'm going to guess number three is a lie.

    As for the spending of time, I almost teared-up. My youngest two children are almost ready to leave home and the oldest two are already gone. *Sniff* Now I miss them even more.

    Good luck with the deep edits!

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  4. I need to get out of my bathroom more often.

    I'm a terrible speller, so I'll say the first one is a lie.

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  5. Wow - what fascinating stats on time! Good reminder to stop and think where I'm investing my time and if I'm investing it in the right places. Cheers - Ellen

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  6. I completely agree with you. Time is precious. I want my kids to be able to look back on their childhood as a time of joy with parents who had time for them.

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  7. Wow, those statistics are amazing! I feel like we're sleeping our lives away! Lol. Think how productive we would be if we didn't need sleep or food. That would cut down on so many years!

    Huge congrats to Sarah! I think her book sounds awesome. I'll guess that the lie is #1. I bet she came in first. ;)

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  8. Well, I know I'm saving time on cleaning... :)

    I, too, am feeling like I'm sleeping my life away, and I'm an insomniac.

    Congrats to Sarah—I'm guessing that #1 is the lie.

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  9. I can totally relate to how much time blogging takes. I blog once or twice a week, and it feels like a little unpaid job. I think taking breaks like you are (and I do too at times) is good. And the whole issue of time,how we spend it, and how there's never enough is fascinating.

    Congrats to Sarah on her book! So excited for her.

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  10. I probably spend the most time sleeping, and working after that. I wish I had more time for writing. And blogging, actually. I used to spend a lot more time doing that than I do now.

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  11. I know I don't spend that much time shopping for clothes. And I'm with MJ on the cleaning. :)

    Good luck with your edits, and enjoy spending time with your family!

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  12. This really was fascinating to read. Although I'd probably end it all if I had to spend that much time shopping LOL. I hate it.
    Good luck completing the edits and enjoy your extra time with your family. :)

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  13. A hear and a half cleaning the bathroom. That's just wrong. So very wrong!

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  15. I quit responding to comments on my blog years ago as a way to save time. I *Never* go back to a post to see if the blogger wrote a response to my comment. I'm too busy moving on to new posts. I figure it's the same with most people, so why am I taking time to write responses they won't see?

    I could be wrong, but I *think* most people would rather I visit their blogs than answer the comments they write on mine. And so that's what I do.

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  16. I say violin is the lie!! Know both these lovely authors, so excited for them! <3 and yikes that is a lot of time we spend every day!

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  17. I spend way too much time blogging too. I'm taking a break in April as well. Good luck with your edits! And get in lots of time with the kiddos. :) My guess for the lie is #2.

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  18. I spend a lot of time blogging too, though I've never added up the hours. I'm doing the A-Z Challenge in April and ironically I'll spend less time on blogging that month because I've already got all the posts set up.

    I need to spend more time writing/editing. That's what I NEED to be doing!

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  19. Time is so fleeting. We major on so many minors not realizing we are letting the sands of time slip between our fingers. Best of luck at squeezing all the life from each second!

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  20. I'm going with #1 as the lie- I bet she came in first place.

    Those are some sad time statistics. I'm depressed now, pass the cheese with some wine.

    Taking blog breaks is smart. The kids and the books have to come first.

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  21. Most of my time is spent chasing my daughter around. Good luck with your edits! I'm actually supposed to be revising this week but I have developed an early bout of spring fever. Sigh.

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  22. I'm going to guess number one is the lie, and good for you for cutting back. Do what you need to do :) Heck, you know I only blog once every couple of months. My poor sad neglected blog...

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  23. You have certainly worked hard to build up your reputation as a blogger and as a writer. You're smart to pull back and work on your project, and your family. I'm doing the A to Z Challenge, so I'll be blogging MORE!

    Thanks for visiting my blog today. Mary at Play off the Page

    IWSG co-host

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  24. I've never paid attention to how much time I spend blogging, writing, marketing, editing, etc. but I do know I spend a lot more time doing those things than being with my family. It's quite sad.

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  25. Oh time is fickle beast! I tend to try and hoard time, not doing anything and thinking, "HAHA! I've kept it all for myself!" In truth, I'm playing hide and seek with my dreams and I'm losing. Thank YOU for this post! We are the only ones in charge of how we spend our time. Yes, there are things we HAVE to do, like go to work, clean the toilet, do the dishes. But all those spare hours should be spent consciously going after the things (and the people) that mean the most to us!

    Cheers!
    Jen

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  26. Time is something I definitely think about a lot, to the point where I've scaled back on things in order to accomplish more elsewhere. Not surprised you feel the need to post only monthly for a while. The blogosphere never fails to be a major time-suck, for sure!

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  27. Those stats! Those stats are mind boggling. I don't know what I spend my time on, but I wish there were more Girl Scout cookies and wine involved.

    I'm gonna guess #1 as the lie. I bet she came in first. Smarty pants.

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  28. Gosh aren't those stats a little scary! Time with the family is so precious. It seems like a good decision to cut back on the blogging for a while and concentrate on the children and your editing.
    Best wishes, Crystal. Look forward to catching your monthly posts for a while.
    B

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  29. It's crazy when your kid hits 9 and you realize that half your life with him/her as a kid is over. Goes by way too fast. What a fab post!

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  30. I know I try not to do online stuff when I'm at home, just because when I'm home, I should be spending that time with kids and family. I hardly get to watch TV either. But when I'm at work, I'll spend my lunch blogging or writing. Best of luck with your edits! Hope the reduction works out well for you!

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  31. Great post. I took yesterday off using vacation time from work to work on edits. I blocked out time for blog and writer biz stuff. Even with my guidelines and a determined effort, I still spent double the allotted time on the business and blog planning stuff (I just joined a group blog so I do have a learning curve right now).

    I've recently started looking at where I am investing efforts. I've cut back on my personal blog b/c my reader audience is not there, it's elsewhere online. My group blog serves a different function and is still more beneficial than blogging on my own. Facebook is a time suck but Instagram is more useful for me right now. Still, I'm finding things will need to further be cut.

    Great reminder to not forget those precious family years to hold on to.

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  32. 8 hours reading blogs!! Oh my gosh...at one point I was spending about two hours a week and I'm not even half as busy as you and still couldn't deal.

    Okay, Assasin's Heart sounds freaking awesome!! I'm going with #3 for the lie...perhaps one was a past pet? :)

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  33. I hear what you have to say about the time needed for blogging. Most of my time is spent visiting other blogs. I hope your deep edits go well. You have a gift with words.

    And as far as spending all that time in the bathroom? Don't forget that most of that time can be spent reading. :)

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  34. Amazing stats!
    I don't oversleep or take extra naps on the weekend, so I'm saving some time there.
    I'm not really a TV watcher either, so that helps too.
    Good idea to spend time with the family...especially that little munchkin...the blog will always be there.
    Good luck with the edits.

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  35. I spend crazy amounts of time on the computer between working and blogging alone. I don't want to know my exact time. It's good that you want to spend more time with family and while we will miss you there is nothing more important. Plus you promise to blog monthly with prizes and cheese? What a darling you are Crystal!

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  36. Well gosh when you put it like that it sure makes sense to cut back on blogging!

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  37. I don't know how you find all that time to blog.

    Just come out and say it: you're a time lord.

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  38. I completely understand what you're talking about. I spend that much time, and like you, I only blog once a week. Yesterday (b/c of writing the ISWG post) and today through Sat, I'll be busy visiting and commenting on others blogs for IWSG and my CTST hop -- and NO writing will be done. (But there's always next week, I tell myself.) Taking a break will be great for you - good luck with your edits!

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  39. Whenever I think about time and how fast it can slip away it makes me want to throw up. But it also makes me more determined than ever to achieve my goals in the time I have. But I always make sure to spend quality time with friends/family/the other half too :).

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  40. Breaking down time like this gives life a whole new perspective. It still boils down to the fact that the only time we have is the present, be that sleeping or shopping or in the bathroom. Guess we just need to be sure to enjoy those minutes that add up to a lifetime.

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  41. Before I forget I choose lie #2.

    Time is a tricky thing. There's never enough of it. And after reading all your statistics, it's scary and got me thinking of having to cut back on something. My family always comes first, that's quality time!!!

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  42. Good for you! Kiddos come before all else, and that's time we won't get back once their grown, as your statistics sadly point out:( I'm pretty sure I spend more time online than sleeping. And I'm guessing #2, cuz a house full of critters sounds fun and what writer isn't a fabulous speller *wink*

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  43. I think you made a wise decision in cutting back on blogging. Family is so important and your kids are only little once.

    Boy wouldn't I love to win Assassin's Heart. I think #2 is the lie.

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  44. Hei Crystal, it is Crystal here. ;) I am originally from Estonia, right now residing in Mexico. It is so fun to read your article about the time. I kind of did something similar. I wrote my blog for once a week for 2 years and also the last year in two languages (Estonian and English) which made the average around 10 - 15 hours a week to set it up. I also put a lot more into pictures as photography is one of my interest. By the end of last year I felt exhausted. I did not wait for writing my blog any more, it had turned into a dreadful job. I almost started to avoid writing it. So I knew that I needed to change something. First I thought, maybe then I can not say that I have blogged for 2 or so many years in a row. Then I thought, wait a minute - I can. I just do it more seldom. Like once or twice a month. Right now I have modified it into 3 times per month - one is for ISWG group, one is my own personal keys for the month and one is an interview with someone in my surroundings, who inspires me a lot and I hope through my interview would inspire others as well. After I made that shift in the beginning of January, my writing has been filled with passion again, I am excited about my interviews, putting these together, also getting together with people to interview them is fun. I have also included more of my interests, like anthropology for example. So all in all - I write less for my blog, but I have juicier material, more motivation for myself and on top of it, taking now time to start to edit my very first book manuscript, so that I can finally get something in between the covers and out to the world, where it can serve me and the people and the world! I personally feel it is so important to set boundaries and time management is one of them. Really important to get it to the level where you feel okay. I have found that right now and seems like you too! Cool! Cood luck with your next project!

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  45. Blogging is too time consuming for a writer! I know that sounds lame, but it's the truth. We have writing to do and editing and research etc. I only post once a month. So go for it!! And good luck with edits.

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  46. Except for the first Wed. of the month (IWSG) I only allow my self to post and visit blogs on Monday because it's so time consuming. I generally write up my posts on Sunday, which can take a couple of hours.

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  47. Except for the first Wed. of the month (IWSG) I only allow my self to post and visit blogs on Monday because it's so time consuming. I generally write up my posts on Sunday, which can take a couple of hours.

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  48. It's all good, as long as there's still cheese. Hope you get all the time you need. I might need to up the estimate of time I spend in the bathroom. Sometimes I hide there even when I'm not using the facilities because it get me a few minutes peace from the kids. Please don't take this the wrong way, I love my kids, but sometimes I need a breather.

    Oh, number one is the lie.

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  49. Ugh...that list makes life seem harsh. I cut back on book reviews on my review blog this year just because it was eating up an insane amount of time. It happened so fast without me even noticing it. Enjoy the time off the next months and go get those edits!!!

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  50. Congrats on the release, Sarah. Looks great!

    We'll leave the light on for ya, Crystal:)

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  51. It's interesting and weird to see time broken down like that. Right now, I spend a lot of my time working, not as much with family as I did when my boys were younger, so I can see that difference. You're going to have me thinking more about this as I go about this month.

    I'm going with #3 as a lie. I've never heard of a squirrel for a pet.

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  52. Time...what about the time spent procrastinating? Yikes!

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  53. Those time statistics are shocking. My kids are all over 18 and I know how little it seems that I see them. It feels like more years of work than that.

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  54. Those time statistics are a bit painful, and time is definitely precious. Thanks for the reminder to be wise about time, Crystal!

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    1. Now, if I would just take the "time" to switch which e-mail account I'm using between e-mailing for family stuff and blogging. Oy.
      Have an awesome March and April with revision and edits!

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  55. Wow! Time does seem endless but when measured out, we lose so much.

    Congrats to Anna!

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  56. Good-luck with your editing, Crystal. Those stats are scary. Spending time with your family sounds like a good way to spend your time. My time management definitely needs lots of work.

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  57. If someone only knew how many hours I spend checking my email or Facebook for no reason, that would be frightening. I don't spend a ton of time on blogging--most of my posts are written pretty quickly, unless I need to find graphics or research for them. Plus, I'm a pretty sporadic blogger.

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  58. Wow. Those are interesting stats and sad when you look at the ones with your family. No wonder it's hard when the kids leave the nest... Your time on your blog shows. Very well done. Have fun with your kids and thanks for dropping by!

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  59. The older I get, and with more and more of my friends dying every year, it's impossible for me not to think about the passing of time. And about how precious it is. How we spend our time shows where our true priorities lie, so that's why I make a conscious effort to drop what I'm doing when my hubby wants me to take a ride with him to XYZ, or to walk around the block, whatever.

    Butm geez! One and a half years in the bathroom?!? Maybe I'd better stop doing puzzles in there... :)

    Okay, now for a guess on the ol' lie-o-meter. I'll say #2 is the fib this week.

    Enjoy your wee respite from the blogosphere. I'm planning to take April off again this year.

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  60. Time is a crazy topic and I love all the facts you posted about relationships. I admire the time you commit to the success of your blog and all the relationships you continue to build. One of these days I hope to put more time into mine. Right now the end of my book is taking up the hour of time I get of me time between work and all my kids activities and of course my lunch dates with them...and I am guessing lie number two is the pick this time. :)

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  61. I so agree with you on the kids, Crystal. My youngest turned 13 in February, so of course, I had to regale the family with stories about her birth and early life ALL DAY LONG! *lol* I spend too much time on Facebook in less-than-productive activities.

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  62. Yarp, that's why I dropped back to blogging once a month. Even though I enjoy it and love the people here in this blogging world, it really does take up a lot of time.

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  63. I hear ya on the blogging. I've dropped down to once a month also. Just don't have the time. Thanks for all the interesting facts!

    So--the lie is #3...

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  64. When you add it all up, we spend a lot of time doing the things we do every day. It adds up. I think I'd spend more time knitting.

    I'm going to say the lie is #1.

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  65. That list of time was kind of a shock. Oh my. I am going to take a blogging break during the summer. Have some fun with your little one!

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  66. After reading this, I'm not sure I spend my time as wisely as I should. I must take a look a this. :-)

    Anna from elements of emaginette

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  67. 5 years browsing online? I wonder what I did with those 5 years before the internet?

    We will be here when you get back! Work hard!
    Heather

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  68. Wow! Yes, blogging takes a lot of time. This is why I stepped back for awhile. I couldn't manage to write and blog at the same time. I hope your time is fruitful!

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  69. Great post, Crystal!!Definitely food for thought. Time is so precious and we don't know when our individual clock will stop. So we must make the most of it. Cutting down on blogging to spend more time with your kids is fantastic. They grow so quickly and before you know it, they've left to make their own lives.

    I say number 1 is the lie. Surely you came in first!!

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  70. This is why I haven't been blogging as actively. My workload's climbed, but unfortunately, the number of hours in the day has stayed the same!

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  71. Hi Crystal - well after writing up that lot of numbers - I can quite see why you're scaling back - makes absolute sense. Your children are so important ...

    Oh dear .. I shall have to spend some time thinking about these! Cheers and yes ... # 1 is the lie ... Hilary

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  72. I bet the browsing online races poll position in a few years.

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  73. You spend an amazing amount of time blogging. I spend a couple of hours a day and about eight hours on the weekend--catch up. And I didn't even start all this until my kids were grown. I'm impressed with your fortitude

    Btw, this is Jacqui. I tried to change the profile and it kep losing my comment so I'm leaving it as Kali.

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  74. Blogging certainly does take up a lot of time! I've cut back significantly lately just so I can manage it, though I still wish I were working on my WIP sometimes :)

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  75. You're a blogging whiz, Crystal!

    Congrats to Sarah! I REALLY want this book. I'm going with #2 as the lie. *crosses fingers*

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  76. You're a blogging whiz, Crystal!

    Congrats to Sarah! I REALLY want this book. I'm going with #2 as the lie. *crosses fingers*

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  77. Congrats to Julia for winning and congratulations to Anna for an awesome book!

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  78. It's the visiting blogs and commenting that takes up the most time and is the most important too. And I think I've already surpassed some of those years with TV and the like. LOL!

    Congrats to Sarah! I'm going to guess #1 is the lie.

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  79. Congratulations to the authors on their books!

    I spend a lot of time doing stuff with/for my kids and family and working...and when all that's done, I work on my novel.

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  80. Those stats were interesting, thanks for sharing!

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  81. I don't even want to think about where my time is wasted, this last week - being sick!
    Thanks for the well wishes!
    Spring is almost here, and I'm thrilled to be on the mend to greet it! After the snow fall tonight, that is! :)

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  82. How I spent my time was something I had to think very hard about a little over a year ago. Once I scaled back on some things (mostly social media) I went from writing one book a year to four.

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  83. Loved all those time facts... and they're kind of scary of where our time goes...

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  84. I'm so pleased that the time we spend cleaning is relatively low. Now about twitter. All that time you spend preparing tweets and tweeting...I've never once seen a tweet of yours I don't think. And I'm on twitter a lot (spending my precious time). That's why they say to tweet every few hours so you catch the entire world, lol!

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  85. I'll go with #1 as the lie, simply because it's the most writery thing on there. ;)

    I waste way too much time. I'd like to spend 10 years of my life walking outdoors.

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  86. I think #1 is the lie as well. I wonder how long the average person spends reading. I bet I'm way over as most writers would be. The thing about parents and time is sad but true. Seeing mine is always a special treat that only happens a few times a year.

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  87. I think #1 is the lie as well. I wonder how long the average person spends reading. I bet I'm way over as most writers would be. The thing about parents and time is sad but true. Seeing mine is always a special treat that only happens a few times a year.

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  88. That's quite a breakdown of time! I don't spend nearly that amount of time watching TV. My time is spent practicing my instruments. Much more fun, I think!

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  89. Ooh, eight years shopping. That's a sobering thought... but it does also tempt me to run up to Macy's for some early spring deals. LOL.

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  90. Thank you for taking care of yourself . . and, that you shared your WHY . . . . PRICELESS - hope to learn from your example.

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  91. I think about time... all the time. 2.5 years on cooking? Maybe 2.5 days haha

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  92. I love sleeping. I need more of it. :) That is a lot of time spent on blogging. I may cut back again too. We do what we have to. There is only so much time.

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  93. I think 1 is the lie. Congrats to Julia. I know I spend a lot of time on social media and I'm sure it adds up to many hours a week.

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  94. It's so strange to see time broken down this way. Eek!

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  95. That is absolutely insane! I've never thought of breaking it down like that, but 2.5 years cooking! I guess unless you're a chef, that's not too bad lol!

    Raindrops of Sapphire

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  96. 26 years sleeping sounds wonderful! I've had to drop down in blogging as well. It's necessary, I think, for some people. It was for me.

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  97. At my former job, we were paid on a per-unit basis, and had to keep track of how long we spent doing every type of work and how many of it we did. After so many years at that, I am ridiculously meticulous about time. And yet, despite getting very efficient and all that, I never seem to have enough time to do everything I want. >_< Seeing everything broken down like that doesn't surprise me, but I don't think I'd try to break it down for myself - I'd probably go mad.

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  98. Sometimes it's just necessary to pull back from blogging a bit.

    I think #1 is the lie. She probably came first. ;-)

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  99. I am so with you Crystal... I normally spend about 20+ hours on blogging... when I think about it, that is crazy. I still want to write, I love writing... I love being connected with others through their blogs but like you, I need to prioritize more. I took off a whole week from commenting on blogs, it was a much needed break, I am back, ready to go back at... but only to people who really care, not the fake people. I want to spend more time with Valentina, that is what is important... See you next month xox

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  100. Well, I'm really going to miss you Crystal! I look forward to seeing your posts every week, but I understand your decision, especially in light of those shocking stats.

    I, too, am somewhat troubled by how long blogging takes, but in my case, I'd rather cut back on the aimless Internet browsing, which I do far too much. At least my blogging has led me to people like you.

    Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement, and enjoy your family time. Life is short.

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  101. We won't horrify you with our blogging time (drawring pitchers ain't easy or fast, nor is visiting all of our friends) but good on you for scaling back. Your blog friends will still be around, and you can focus on writing. Good luck!

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  102. Oh, gosh...not sure I want to know how many hours of my life I've frittered away on random stuff;) But it sounds like you've got time management down to a science:)

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  103. I have no idea where my time goes. The older I get, the less I want to keep track of it. :D

    In regards to your profile, I LOVE CHEESE TOO!!! I can't get enough of it.

    http://baerbookspress.com/blog/

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  104. Nice to meet Sarah! Thanks for the intro, Crystal. Wishing her well.

    I hear you about the time and blogging thing. Blogging and related stuff probably consumes about that much of my time per week too. For a while, I had several weeks' posts done in advance, but things come up and I can't always keep that going. Wishing you well with your writing!

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  105. Hmmm... I don't watch much TV - too busy with book stuff! Or shopping. Or probably cleaning either, LOL.

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  106. When you break it all down into hours, it's interesting. Sad about the family time. Enjoy your March and April. Children come first. They grow up so fast you don't want to miss a minute with them.

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  107. Those stats are quite thought-provoking especially when you consider how fast time goes. Enjoy scaling back for a couple of months. I haven't been blogging much recently, but I do try and keep up with my friends. Sarah's book sounds awesome - I'll go with #1 as the lie.

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  108. Interesting break down! I can't and don't drive so I wonder where my 4.3 hours are going? Reading, I'll bet...

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  109. I'm guessing the lie is #2.

    I've never calculated how many hours a week I spend blogging, though I do spend a lot of time writing, researching, and editing posts. Right now I'm focusing on finishing my A to Z posts for my secondary blog, which also involves finding photographs of the subjects whose names are featured.

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  110. 3.66 years eating....CHOCOLATE (in my case). Fascinating numbers and statistics. Hold on, gotta go eat more chocolate. See ya later!

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  111. Stopping by again...I nominated you, Crystal, for the Music and Words Award. :)

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  112. Ha! Those are awesome stats, very amusing. Yes, you do need a bloggy break, it sounds like. Best wishes for your TIMELESS deep edits, rah!!!

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  113. All the best for the editing of your project, yes we do tend to spend more time on the net.

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Hit me with your cheese!