It’s time for a little bloggy love.

Over the past while, I have been honoured to be nominated for six blog awards.  And – after the initial warm fuzzy and thank you – I have been terribly remiss in responding.

Honestly?  It is slightly due to the fact that I was in the camp of mixed feelings about these.

But, it’s a new year.  And, in the world of “getting over myself”, I’ve had a change of heart.

Why?

Because one of the main – and truly enriching parts – of blogging – is the other bloggers that you meet.  I’ve met and discovered some wonderful bloggers – and I’d like to say thank you – in a small way – for how much they have enriched my experience.

So here goes!

Since I began blogging this time around (I’ve done it twice before too), I’ve been nominated for five Liebster Awards – most recently this past Sunday from Fi over at Fi’s Mutterings and Mumblings and then the day before that from the lovely Jillian over at Jillian Paige Blogs.

Just before Christmas, the forever motivating Regina from Vintage1973 also nominated me for one.  Then, back in November, Lizzi from Considerings was kind enough to recognize some of the newbies – including yours truly – who participate in her wonderful Ten Things of Thankful Blog Hop; and finally in early September, Audrey Dawn from Oldest Daughter & Red-Headed Sister nominated me for my first Liebster.

Then, two weeks ago, Beth nominated me for a Sunshine award!

Sincere thank yous to all of you for thinking of my blog and feeling it was worthy of recognition.  I truly appreciate it.  If you aren’t familiar with them, please go visit these blogs – I enjoy reading them all!

Then check out all my pretty things!

So back to the change of heart on the awards front.

Over the holidays I’d been mulling over a way to do some sort of nice Blog Roll page, listing my favourite bloggers, when Regina’s nomination arrived.  In her post, she also very helpfully linked to this awesome post by Lorraine Reguly explaining some of the history of the award.

With her help, I give you:

Liebster Award – A Brief History

The Liebster is a blog award, given to bloggers by other bloggers.  Specifically, the intention is to give it to new, or less followed bloggers (generally under either 100 or 200 followers; but sometimes as high as under 1000 or 3000 followers) to recognize them and welcome them to the blogosphere.  Other awards are a part of the “meme“ as well, including the “Sunshine Blog Award”.

The word “liebster” is German, and has several definitions, but basically means dearest, sweetest, kindest, nicest, beloved, valued … (you get the point).

Variations to the “rules” for accepting the award (as well as the appearance of the award) have been made over time, but generally it appears to be:

• Link back to the one who brung ya to the dance (ie: the blogger who nominated you);
• Post the award to your site somewhere;
• Answer your nominator’s (generally but not always) 11 questions;
• Nominate 5-11 bloggers and notify them; and,
• Pose (generally but not always) 11 questions for them to answer.

If you receive a nomination, you must pay it forward, in order to accept it.

This is the part that use to turn me off.  I mean, I’m the girl in late ’90s e-world who wouldn’t even hit forward to save poor Balshika Rammuasenne II from rare and deadly kidney diseases, poor scores on final exams and extreme virginity; or to get that $1000 from Bill Gates.

So why the change of heart?  Lorraine’s post was generally persuasive, but the idea that won me over: The idea is to recognize and promote bloggers – while getting some promotion yourself.  So, it’s about expanding the blog community: sharing the blogs you enjoy with other blogs you enjoy.

So in that spirit, I’m accepting all these awards.  I’ll answer each of the question sets in turn below, but in case you can’t make it through all of that, here are my nominees and the questions I have for those who wish to accept.  Regardless of your view on awards, my aim in nominating you is simply to say, I enjoy your blog.  Please keep doing what you’re doing.  As a note – I didn’t nominate anyone who had nominated me – but I obviously think all of those blogs are amazing as well!  Just sayin’.

My Liebster Nominees – the new (to me) blogs I’m enjoying: Track Pants and a Tot; Be Inspired, Be Inspiring; Part Time Monster; Life of K; Complexity Through Joy; Mumzilla’s World; Stiletto Momma; and The Muddle-Headed Mamma.

My Sunshine Nominees – blogs/bloggers I continue to enjoy: Aussa Lorens;  My Skewed View; Finding Ninee; Donetta’s World; Suzie81’s Blog; Left Brain Buddha; Friendly Fairy Tales; Cross Stitch Bobobitch; Twinkle Toes and Ninja Boy; and Beautiful Dysfunction.

If you wish to accept, here are your hoops questions:

1.   Why do you blog?

2.  If you could be anyone for one day, who would it be?

3.  Favourite movie?

4.  Do you like to dance?

5.  What is your ideal evening out of the house?

6.  Did you make a New Year’s Resolution?  If yes, have you kept it?

7.  Favourite quote?

8.  Rich and okay or poor and truly happy?

9.  Do you believe that work-life balance exists?

10.  Chips, candy or what’s your poison?

———–

Okay!  So let’s do this chronologically!

Liebster #1: Courtesy of Oldest Daughter and Red-Headed Sister

Awarded: September 1, 2013

About her and her blog: A mix of personal reflection, poetry and writing, she writes with an honesty I admire and appreciate.  I love this quote from her “About Me” page.

Under her rules, she asks 10 Questions.  Here they are:

1. If your request had been approved to change your height tomorrow, from tall to short or short to tall, what would your first task be with your new height?

Huh.  I like my height so I’m good.  When I was 11, I went to Science North in Sudbury and they told me I’d only be 4’11.  And I CRIED.  Because I wanted to be 5’6.  Like the Sweet Valley Twins.  I ended up 5’7.  So I figure I’m pretty close to my 11-year-old ideal; suck it Science North; and my life should be perfect (right?).

2. City Mouse or Farm Mouse?

City mouse.  Pfft.

3. If you had upstairs neighbors who were driving you crazy with their music, which item would you use to get even? – a. broomstick   b. catapult and bowling ball   c. a knock at the door and bottle of wine

c.  I’m a fan of “killing with kindness” in the face of issues like that.

4. You’re awarded a 7 day stay in a luxury treehouse or a beach resort, which would you choose?

Beach Resort

5. Mustang or Camero?

At this stage?  Anything that runs…

6. Singing lullabies to children or pushing a wheelchair for the elderly?

Lullabies with the hopes they’ll repay the favour by doing the other for me in future if needed 🙂

7. Cooking with Paula Dean or Working with Matt Lauer?

Cooking!

8. If the cast of The Big Bang Theory knocked on your door right now, which one of them would you have to resist punching in the mouth? Why? a. Leonard   b. Sheldon  c. Penny  d. Howard  e. Raj  f. Amy  g. Bernadette  h. Other

I don’t watch this show.  And odds are, if I didn’t know they were coming, we wouldn’t answer the door for fear someone wanted to sell us a water heater contract.

9. Super Mario 3 or Tetris?

Super Mario!

10. Assume nothing happened last weekend and it was a quiet few nights at home. What do you wish would have happened?

Exactly that!  A few quiet nights sounds wonderful!

Liebster #2: Courtesy of Lizzi over at Considerings

Awarded: November 12, 2013

About her and her blog: Lizzi is, by far, one of the most positive and caring people I’ve met so far blogging.  As mentioned, she hosts a weekly blog hop to encourage people to find ten things from the week to be thankful about, which helps you to focus on the positive.  And she loves Tigger.  Tiggers!

Here’s what her inquiring mind wanted to know:

1. What did you want to be when you were grown-up?

Naturally, I wanted to be a mid-level federal public servant with the ability to affect positive change on Area of Management 4 of Treasury Board Secretariat’s Management Accountability Framework (aka AOM4 of TBS’s MAF).  Given I successfully accomplished that in 2009, I’ve been adrift since then for lack of professional goal.  So I thought I’d try blogging.

If that hadn’t panned out, I wanted to be a baker (’cause of the hat); marine biologist (because of the scuba diving) and journalist (because I’d get to write).

2. If you could take any qualification in the world, what would it be, and why?

I’d have gone to law school.

3. What’s the most tired you’ve ever been?

While trying to figure out breastfeeding in the first three weeks after giving birth to my first daughter.  IT.  WAS.  AWFUL.  After three lactation consultants and trying to inject milk into my baby’s mouth through a syringe via nipple shield let’s just say I finally figured out I don’t come from a long line of wet nurses and called it quits.

4. What was your last ‘kairos moment’?

I agree you simply can’t seize and love and appreciate every moment.  But I think these are the little moments: every Tuesday night when I take my daughters swimming; when I take the time for me to go the gym; when I spend a bit of extra time on the bedtime story.  I try to do – and relish – these small moments as often as my television viewing and blogging schedule permits.

5. What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

Alpen cereal and yogurt.

6. What is the most perfect number?

42

7. The last time you got given a present, what was the occasion?

Christmas

8. Which book do you keep coming back to?

This one is embarrassing.  VC Andrews Petals on the Wind.  Pure escapist rot.  And an awesome “she had it coming” revenge plot.  Lost count of how many times I’ve read it.  I’ve even found the clever but true spoof review sites.

9. What advice would you like to give the ‘you’ of ten years ago?

Go to law school.

10. What part of ‘now’ would you like to remind the ‘you’ in ten years’ time about?

Raising young kids is wonderful – but a lot of hard work.  So please try not to run up to every young parent you see and tell them to “enjoy every moment!”.

11. What was the last thing which made you catch your breath in awe?

Watching the joy my two girls had in bed one night playing with the toy unicorn that projects stars onto the ceiling.  So much beauty in simple things when you remember to take the time.

Liebster #3: Courtesy of Regina at Vintage1973

Awarded: December 2013

About Regina and her Blog: She blogs about her faith, life at 40, her family, and books and movies.  Well written and thoughtful- AND her photos are beautiful.

Her assignment:

1. Of the Avengers, which is your fave?

My 4-year-old daughter sporatically loves Spiderman over all things “girly” which I think rocks (she’s in a daycare with all boys except for her little sis).  And so we’ve watched various versions of Spiderman on Netflix.  She also plays “Ironman” with the action figures the other boys bring to daycare.  I love that her childhood isn’t all Barbie.  But for the record?  I think history shows that Barbie can hold her own and be whatever she wants to be.  So if she wanted?  She could TOTALLY be an Avenger.

And there’s always someone on the Interwebs to agree with me!

2. Short hair or long hair?

Long, for me.  Short for my husband.  Seriously.  He went the other way for a while.  Short.

3. What is the healthiest food you eat on a regular basis?

Berries.

4. What was the best girly movie of 2013?

Huh?  I have to be current?  No clue.  I don’t think I even went to a movie last year.

5. What state would you most like to visit?

California.

6. Do you speak any other languages?

French fluently.  Some Spanish.

7. In what area are you your most creative self?

On my blog.

8. New Red Dawn movie or the original; which do you prefer and why?

I’ve seen neither.  Regina, I feel I’m letting you down.  Do I still get the Liebster?

9. Best book you’ve read.

I really like compilation essay books.  Two of my favourites are from a bit over ten years ago because they provided many of those “A-hah!” moments.  The first is The Bitch in the House – 26 Women Tell the Truth about Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage – edited by Cathi Hanauer.  The other is the response compilation by her husband called The Bastard on the Couch – 27 Men Try Really Hard to Explain Their Feelings About Love, Loss, Fatherhood, and Freedom – edited by Daniel Jones.

10. What is a fashion necessity for you, something you hardly ever leave home without?

I’m not huge on fashion – but have long hair and never leave home without a hair elastic.  Does that count?

11. How do you de-stress?

A glass of wine after a long day is divine!

—-

Time for a break?

Because, wow! To quote Buffy, if I knew I was gonna go on this long, I probably would’ve brought some water. Uh, if you need to grab something, or go to the bathroom or whatever, I’ll just wait for you here.

Okay!  Back at it!

Liebster #4: Courtesy of Jillian at Jillian Paige Blogs

Awarded: January 11, 2014

About Jillian and her blog:  A fellow weekly participant over at Jen’s Twisted Mixed Tape Tuesday, I love learning new things about music from her.

What Jillian is dieing to know:

1.  What book are you reading right now? Give a 1 sentence review.

James Patterson’s Jack and Jill.  Fun, forgettable, pulp fiction.

2.  If you could binge watch any TV show, what would it be?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer of course!

3.  When and why did you start blogging?

This is round three.  This time, in June 2013.  Because I like writing.  So: blog hobby.

4.  What would you do with 1 million dollars?

Boring stuff: pay off debts; replace our cars; be mortgage-free.  Then I’d travel a bit; and give some money to Kristi’s dream school and a few other charities I care about.  I blogged a bit about that here.

5.  Share a quote you live by.

Love many; trust few; always paddle your own canoe.  That was the quote in my high school year book.  I figure over the years you really just become more “you”.  It’s still accurate.  I remember googling it a few years ago and discovering it was a misquote – but can’t find that link now…

Also always a fan of: Hate you; hate Kansas; taking the dog – Dorothy.

6.  Do you believe in ghosts? Aliens? Why or why not?

Yes to both.  Because it’s scary – and limiting – to think we, now, are all there is.

7.  Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten?

Pretty much here.  With older kids.  And either mortgage free or with a larger house.  I mostly like my life.

8.  What are your five favorite songs right now?

Check out my post from Tuesday.

9.  What is your favorite color?

I’ve come full circle on pink.  I also like green.  Not together.

10.  Who is your favorite Disney character?

Ursula.  Best villain ever.

Liebster #5: Courtesy of Fi at Fi’s Mutterings and Mumblings

Awarded: January 12, 2014

About Fi’s Blog: She had me at swimming – but she also runs and likes Disney which makes me like her even more.

I don’t get Fi’s bling until I answer the following:

1.  What do you do to relax?

Wine.  The world is better with wine.  The end.

2.  Do you do exercise?  If so, what is your favourite exercise?

Yes.  I used to be a competitive swimmer.  I now run.

3.  What is your dream holiday?

Beach; all-inclusive; and someone to watch my kids.  Who isn’t me or my husband.

4.  What is your favourite recipe?  If you don’t cook, what would you like to be able to cook?

I’m with Garfield: lasagna!

5.  What is your favourite food or meal?

See above.

6.  What are 3 tv programmes you don’t like to miss?

The Good Wife, Nashville and Criminal Minds.

7.  Describe yourself in 3 words

Kind, funny, giving.

8.  What makes you laugh?

My kids; life; pretty much anything.  Except Seinfeld.  I NEVER got that.

9.  What was your least favourite subject at school?

Physics.  I buddied up with the smart guys for lab and drew the diagrams.  Yay group work!

10.  Where do you write your blog?

Mostly in my basement.  Which is also the kids playroom, so sometimes it’s with them watching TV in the background.  But mostly not.  Because that’s super distracting (I mean, because I’m busy being Awesome Enjoying EVERY MOMENT Engaged Mom and they don’t watch TV and I don’t blog until they are in bed – tired from a day filled with crafts, homemade meals, and truly stimulating educational fun).

And last, but in no way least, a little sunshine….

Sunshine Award: Courtesy of Beth at Writer B is Me

Awarded: January 3, 2014

About Beth and her blog:  What to say? At an undisclosed date in the future, we’re gonna quit our “day jobs” and track down Mary Poppins for Aussa. Beth’s awesomely funny.  She’s survived bear attacks!  Go read her.

1. If you could go back in time ten years and tell yourself one thing, what would it be?

LAW.  SCHOOL.

2. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

3. If you were to take me on a date, where would we go and why?

Oooh!  I’d take some of my million dollars from one of my previously listed Liebster’s up above and we’d jet into Paris – because I remember you want to see France.  We’d see a few sites; hit the Moulin Rouge and then out for drinks – because I think you’d be a fun girl to go drinking with.  And as all the avid readers of this post (anyone?  Anyone left?) know from some of the above answers, I like wine.

4. Above all else, what are you afraid of?

Letting those I love down.

5. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

Write.

6. What has been your favorite age to be and why?

Nineteen.  My first  year of university really was my “coming into my own” year.  It made me realize high school was really just high school; people are just people; and I am the best “me” when I’m just “me”.  Every now and then I forget that and I shouldn’t.

7. Coffee or tea?

Coffee.  In. Large. Amounts.

—–

And done!  No I bid you to go out and be excellent to one another in the blogosphere!