Monday 5 January 2015

Liebster Award - Discover New Blogs




I was very kindly nominated (Thank you) for the Liebster Award by Yogaberry, a yoga loving mum of two who not only enjoys, but teaches yoga. Her blog is a lovely mix of family life, Yoga and her thoughts on things like being honest to your children, and loads more. Go over to her blog and enjoy!

I had never heard of the Liebster award until I was nominated, but after reading Yogaberry's post and doing a bit of research I have surmised that basically it is a way of discovering new, smaller blogs and for those bloggers to get to know each other. The rules are as follows:

1. Acknowledge and thank the blog who nominated you.
2. Look for an award image that you like, and post it on your blog.
3.  Answer the 11 questions asked by the person/blog who nominated you.
4. List 11 random facts about yourself.
5. Nominate 11 blogs with under 200 followers to receive the award.
6. Let the bloggers know that you nominated them.
7. Give them 11 questions to answer.


Here are the questions I was given -

1. What are 3 things you learned in 2014?
I learnt to make the best of what you have. Things aren't always going to be lollipops and sunshine but that's OK. The happiest people aren't those who have everything, but those who appreciate what they have. Cliche? Maybe! But it was definitely my main lesson in 2014.
I learnt lots of practical things about being a mum. Like how to do things one handed, things that 8 months ago I would never even have attempted one handed. How to change a nappy. How to change a nappy in a rush. How to take a bodysuit off without pulling it over a babies head (envelope sleeves, brilliant invention and very useful when baby catches a stomach bug!).
Finally I learnt the beauty of patience. I've never been particularly patient, but my son has taught me to slow down a bit and enjoy the little things in life. 


2. Why did you decide to start blogging?

I actually decided to blog a few years ago when I was planning my wedding. I fondly called myself a budget bride and set about arranging my wedding for half the cost of your average UK wedding. I decided to share some of those tips. I enjoyed it so much I started to share other things I liked and learnt. I took a break from blogging for personal reasons but when my son was about 4 months old I decided I wanted to record my journey in to motherhood and my blog seemed like the perfect place. So 'Just Add Colour' was renamed Blogging Mamma, and wedding posts were replaced with lifestyle/mummy posts.

3. What is your favourite blog?

I have a few. But one of my favourite mummy/beauty/lifestyle blogs back from before I even started blogging on Just Add Colour is Sprinkle of Glitter. I found her blog, which in turn led me to her YouTube videos. I find her blogging style very relaxed, down to earth and easy to read. Even her longer posts are easy to digest. I like the mix of beauty, mum posts and arty project type posts. There are many blogs I love now, and it's hard to pick a favourite but there's a definite soft spot for the first blog I started reading regularly.


4. What would you do tomorrow if it was your last day?

I would spend the entire day with my family and my closest friends. We'd all spend the morning playing games with Baby R until he went for his nap. Then we'd all have a cuppa and chat/laugh until Baby R woke up. We'd go down the Mumbles (a beautiful area of South Wales) for the rest of the day, eat ice cream, walk on the beach and take far too many pictures then come home and put Baby R to bed. We'd order a takeaway, watch a film and talk until we were too tired to stay awake. I'd go to bed and cuddle my hubby until I fell asleep. Sounds like the perfect day to me!

5. Who do you admire and why?

That's a toughy. I admire a lot of people of course but it's tough to single one out. I'm going to go with my father for this one. I've always admired his work ethic. He's always worked hard, taken opportunities others wouldn't because they involved sacrifice, worked through illness and pushed himself to work his way up the ladder. There were times this wasn't easy for him, that he had to spend a lot of time away from his family for work reasons. Yet he traveled a long way (approx 360 miles each way) to see us almost every weekend. For as long as I can remember he's been learning new things outside of his work life too. Whether it's been organised lessons or teaching himself new skills. But I really admire that. I think it's an excellent quality in a person to have a good work ethic.

6. What is your favourite cake?

Coffee cake.

7. What are 3 things you would like to do or learn if you had all the time and money in the world?

a) I'd learn to drive. It would make life so much easier if I could put Baby R in the car and head on out. Instead I rely on buses or Hubby when he's not in work. We can't afford for me to learn with the average hour lesson costing £18.
b) I'd like to go on a world cruise. Stopping at places like Pompeii, going on Safari in Africa, visiting hot & cold countries. Just experiencing as much of the world as I could. Not everywhere obviously, but to swim in the bluest oceans, lie on the whitest sands, taste different foods. It's something I would love to do if I won the lottery.
c) Build my own home. I've given this whole all the time and all the money thing some thought over the years. See if I got to design and build my own home, decorate it exactly as I want it, have all new furniture and mod cons I'd never need to move house ever again. As someone who has lived in 6 houses since 2007 the idea of never moving again is very appealing. So yes, to build my dream house.

8. What book have you really enjoyed reading in 2014?
 
There's two I want to mention. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. An inspirational woman and a story that made me weep many a time. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. Childrens books are not always the most thrilling to read but I really enjoy reading this one to Baby R.


9. What's your favourite snack?

Yoghurt, toffee or vanilla flavoured are my faves and when I want to feel like I'm being good I'll chop up a banana and chuck it in my yoghurt.

10. What did you want to be when you were a child?

What didn't I want to be? My answer when I was asked was -  a dancer, pop singer, shop owner,  book author, teacher, chef, doctor (who rides a horse to appointments) with children. I even had it scheduled so I could fit all my professions in. I decided I really could have it all! 

11. What is your blog post that you most enjoyed writing so far? (send me a link)

From my Just Add Colour Days - Bully For You It was a very hard piece to write for me. But I really enjoyed the therapeutic nature of saying what was playing on my mind.

From my newer Blogging Mamma Days - Dear Baby R I feel proud of this post and the original paper copy that now sits in Baby R's memory box for him to re-open when he's older.

11 Random Facts About Me

1) I have lost 9 stone in weight in the last 3 years. I hope to loose the final 2 and a bit stone in 2015
2) The first wedding ceremony I ever attended was my own. 
3) I love marshmallows. Prefer flumps, but will eat mini, or pink & whites.
4) I once wrote a poem about pink Yorkie bars. It was for A'Level English and earnt me an A.
5) I have never broken a bone (touch wood).
6) I am deaf in one ear.
7) I grew up in England but am Welsh and now live in Wales again.
8) I love Harry Potter. So much so I dressed my son up as baby Harry for Halloween! Ha!
9) Once I put baby milk in the washing machine and washing powder in the baby bottle. Don't worry didn't give the bottle to baby. Realised what I had done pretty much straight away. Got to love baby brain!
10) I love coffee. I drink more coffee than is advisable and still fall asleep easily at night. Must be immune to caffeine by now.
11) I am allergic to peanuts.

The 11 bloggers I want to nominate are (I don't know that your blogs have less than 200 followers, turns out it's quite hard to find out how many followers a blog has. Mainly due to all the different platforms you can be followed on, so I've gone with the amount of followers on Bloglovin and if you're not on Bloglovin then goodness knows what number I used. I appreciate you may have more than 200 in total but I tag you anyway!) :-

MummyBexM
Plutonium Sox
Play At Home Teacher
Welcome To My World
Stuff Babies Need
FUZZYPEACH
The Diary of an Unexpectant Mother
Academic Mummy
Slummy Mummy
Mummy's Retreat
Dillydrops

11 Questions For My Nominees

1) If you could only ever eat one food/meal for the rest of your life what would it be?
2) What's your favourite, non-blogging, related thing to do?
3) If you could meet any celebrity (living or not) who would you want to meet and why?
4) What is your biggest pet peeve?
5) Main goal for 2015?
6) Link your favourite blog post written by someone else.
7) Link your favourite blog post written by you.
8) Are you a planner or a spontaneous kind of person. 
9) What non physical trait of yours would you change?
10) What made you begin your blog?
11) Tell me a quote or mantra you identify with.


6 comments:

  1. Thoroughly enjoyed this! My first wedding ceremony was also my own!x

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    1. Thank You glad you enjoyed! Haha, fancy that! :) x

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  2. Thank you so much for the tag that's really kind of you. I actually did the post a year or so ago but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading yours, lovely to learn more about you. Nine stone?? That is incredible. Well done.xx

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    1. No problem, will have to go and read yours! I've really enjoyed seeing other peoples answers too. Aw thank you, still 2 and a bit stone to get there, but I'm determined to loose it and keep it off once and for all :) xx

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  3. Thank you for my tag, I have drafted (is that the right word?) something up so that I don't forget once the house move is out of the way. So it's gonna be mega late, but it is coming :-)

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    1. No problem! And don't worry, moving house is hectic I understand. Look forward to reading it once the move is all done & dusted xx

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