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This weekend, I had an amazing surprise! I was nominated for the Liebster Award August 2017, not once, but twice! Seriously!
For those of you that are not familiar, a Liebster Award 2017 is an award that started in 2011 for very new bloggers to give them exposure to the internet and other new blogs. The special thing about this award is that it is created by bloggers and chosen by fellow bloggers. In the early days of a new blog, it is sometimes hard to know if people are seeing what you share and create. It is fantastically fantastic to know that people are seeing what you are doing and LIKING what you are doing!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU
I want to thank the following two bloggers for this nomination:
- Kim at This Mama Needs Chocolate, a mommy blog about self-care and the craziness of motherhood
- Ashley at Faith+Motherhood, who writes about connecting with your faith in the ups and downs of being a mom
Head over to their blogs to see more about what they do and connect with them on social media!
THE RULES & REQUIREMENTS
Once you are nominated, the general rules are below (official rules are detailed in this post):
- Thank the person (or people) who nominated you and link to their blog(s)
- Display the award on your blog
- Write a short blurb about your favorite blog that is not your own
- Provide 10 random facts about yourself (optional) and answer 10-11 questions from your nominator
- Nominate 5+ blogs that you feel deserve the award and meet the criteria
- Ask the nominees questions of your own
- List these rules in your post
- Once you have written and published your post, inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster Award
Since I was nominated twice (again, AWESOME!) you will see that I have 20 questions instead of 10. Since so much of my blog focuses on our family overall, family travel and how-tos with kids, it will be fun to share a bit of me personally! Here we go!
MY FAVORITE BLOG
Right now, my favorite blog (and they have a podcast too!) is Chris Loves Julia. They are a wife and husband team that blog about home decor, DIY, and family. I find myself loving every project they do! I think their style is a perfect blend of chic & cool with family & dog friendly. Family and dog friendly is exactly what I need in my house, and I could sure use a dose of chic. They also continually inspire me to do projects myself because so many projects are easy with a bit of education. If you decide to check them out, be sure to take a look at their awesome deck and bunk bed built-ins
QUESTIONS FROM THIS MAMA NEEDS CHOCOLATE
What made you decide to create your own blog?
I have always loved writing and always thought a blog would be fun. In the summer of 2017, I stumbled across a blogging course and got really excited about the idea. I jumped in and got started!
What’s your blogging niche?
My blog is a family travel and lifestyle blog with a little bit of everything about our life as a family of six. We talk about the places we go, the things we love, and the stuff we do as a big family. Recipes, home decor, organization, and things to make life easy are all part of the mix!
What is something you like to do for fun?
I love to scrapbook, but paper scrapbooking has become just too time consuming for me with four kids ages 7 and under, a traveling husband, and a full time job (and now a blog!). I have become an LOVER of Project Life (which is pocket scrapbooking) and especially the Project Life App. It allows me to scrapbook in an app on my phone in literally 5 minutes a week. (I am 100% caught up for years 2015-2017…don’t ask me about years 2010-2014!)
If you could give a new blogger one piece of advice, what would that be?
Honestly, take things one step at a time. The amount of information on what you “should” be doing is overwhelming. It is easy to lose track of your goal, get stressed, and lose your motivation. Take a breath and start slow if you need to…you are racing no one but yourself!
Breakfast in bed, reading in the tub … Describe one ritual you cherish.
I feel like this question is supposed to be about a personal, relaxing ritual to re-center and practice self-care. And…I am drawing a blank! Ha ha ha! I actually thrive on being busy and productive, so I don’t take a lot of down time. Perhaps I need to add more “me” time to my life?
Who’s your favorite holiday and why?
I really do love Christmas! I love giving gifts, I love making gifts, I love the spirit in all the stores (the crowds…not so much), and I love how excited the kids get when they wake up on Christmas morning. I also love having my house all decorated and “cluttered”. It is a breath of fresh air to take it down in January, but such a warm feeling in December.
If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be?
Although it would be really fun to have dinner with someone famous or infamous, it would also be really nice to have dinner with my Grandma again.
Dog person, cat person, neither or both?
Definitely a dog person! We have had 2 dogs for the last nearly 12 years, but recently lost our beagle/lab mix, Bailey. We all miss her a lot, so I would say we are a dog family.
Would you consider yourself to be a risk taker?
Ha ha ha ha, ah ha ah ha…no. I have done risky things like skydiving, hiking the Grand Canyon, surfing, ziplining, and other fun adventures. However, I am pretty logical and analytical so taking risks is not really in my wheelhouse.
If you were being sent to a desert island and only allowed to take one thing (not person) with you, what would you take?
Hmmmm….let’s assume the island does not have wi-fi and so a phone or laptop would not work. Assuming that, I think I would take a camping grill. No reason not to have well-cooked and delicious food if I am going to have to eat off the land and be alone for the rest of my life.
QUESTIONS FROM FAITH + MOTHERHOOD
If you could be any super hero, who would you be and why?
Ironman because he is the smartest superhero!
What is that one post made by you that you like the most, and why?
So far, my favorite post is actually in progress! We renovated our home office, the kids helped us, and I can’t wait to share the whole thing. I feel like every time I write a post it is my new favorite!
When do you find time to blog?
I wake up at 4am (sometimes earlier!) every day to get in extra hours for my corporate day job. But if i can make it work, I also use some of this time for blogging. Otherwise, I try to get extra writing and photo editing done on the weekends. During the week, things can get a bit crazy!
What is your favorite book or series?
I have loved John Steinbeck since high school, so my “favorite book of all time” is Of Mice and Men. I can’t imagine I will ever find a book I love more. However, as far as a series, I actually love the fun writing and easy reading of Emily Giffin (Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof). How is that for difference in genre?
What’s your quote you live by?
I have so many quotes that I love and that resonate with me, quotes I have known for a really long time and new quotes I read on a daily basis. If I had to pick one I have been thinking about a lot lately, I think it would be “Cultivate a good life and record it” by Becky Higgins. The reason I love scrapbooking, photography, travel, and started a blog in the first place is so I can do just that!
Who are you writing your blog for?
I hope that my kiddos get to see all the fun things we did in their childhood. I am definitely writing for them. However, I am also hoping to inspire new and growing families to travel, complete projects, and help show them how they already have (can make) time to do it!
If you could have dinner with anyone past or present, who would it be?
Both bloggers had this same question, so see my answer above.
What is the most extreme thing you’ve ever done?
Well, I delivered all four of my babies without an epidural or any painkillers. Since they range from 7 pounds, 9 ounces up to 9 pounds, 15 ounces, most people think this is pretty extreme.
Bike or Train?
I think train! From my point of view, I can explore further and wider if I take a train!
If you could give someone $1,000,000, who would you give it to? Why?
My banker to deposit it. 🙂 But seriously…I would love to give it to one of our local organizations that provide services to homeless and underprivileged youth.
MY NOMINATIONS
Well, now it is my turn to share the love and share new blogs that I have been loving. Some of you know I took a course for new bloggers called the 30-Day Blogging Fast Track Course by Heather and Pete Reese. This course was integral in getting me the knowledge I needed to start a blog and put the pieces into place. If you are interested in taking the course, click here for more information. They also have a FREE 5-day Start a Money Making Blog Crash Course which was actually the first blogging course I took ever! These courses have been great for knowledge, but they also have allowed me to connect with tons of new bloggers, ask them questions, and see what amazing and interesting things they are doing! I am honored to nominate:
Kristan at Hollandaise in my Hydrobag
Christina at A Life Built on Purpose
Chad at The Royal Brew
Sarah at Long Live the Restless Hearts
Carrie at Marquez Five Adventures
Congratulations to all of you, and I love what you are doing! If you’d like to accept this nomination and be considered a winner, it’s your turn to write a Liebster Award 2017 post following the rules above. Here are questions for you:
- What’s your blogging niche?
- What are you most excited about with starting your blog?
- It’s Saturday morning. What are you doing?
- Introvert or extrovert?
- If you could go anywhere on your next trip, where would you go?
- What one thing are you just really bad at?
- What is your favorite food/dish to eat?
- If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy?
- What is one thing you have never done but is on your bucket list?
- What do you do when you are not blogging?
I look forward to reading your answers!
-LORI
