The Liebster Award!

So, this blog is fairly new.  I'm maybe a month in and when I browse around the blogosphere, I'm not gonna lie, I get a little overwhelmed.  There are so many truly amazing, well written, moving blogs out there.  There are so many people with so many good tips.  It seems like every kid-friendly project under the sun has been tried and written about.  It seems like I'm a day late and a dollar short.  

Then there's this: about a week into my blogging journey, I really felt encouraged after reading a children's book to my kids about David.  "I may be little," he says, "But with God, I can do big things."  And I thought about my blog and how it's so little, and what kind of big things could I do for God?  That's when I decided that I wanted this to be about more than just a few cool learning activities and art projects.  There are so many bigger, well-written blogs that are already doing that.  I wanted to be able to encourage other moms with my blog.  We are all just sort of figuring this stuff out.  Not one of us has it all together.  Because we are all people.  

And if I just reach a few other moms out there who need to hear that they are not alone, that this ship is full of other moms who feel just like them, then I think I'm doing what God is asking me to do.  

Of course, it's nice when I hear that other people are reading the things I write.  It's always nice to know you're not doing something in vain.  That's why I was so thrilled when Discovering Breadcrumbs left a comment to let me know that she'd nominated my blog for the Liebster Award.

The Liebster Award celebrates the small blogs out there (less than 200 followers), the ones that have some really awesome material but aren't terribly well known, yet.  I am honored to have been recognized, and I am excited to share with you a few blogs that I have found to be well worth a read.

But first, a few rules:

Create a post containing the following information:

• Link back to the blog that nominated you.
• Nominate 5 – 11 new blogs who have 200 or fewer followers (This is harder than it sounds and can sometimes be difficult to determine, but give it your best shot).
• Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator.
• Share 11 random facts about yourself.
• Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
• Contact your nominees and let them know that you have nominated them.

The blogs I nominated are below. Go check them out!

Amy Writes - A super well-written, slice of life blog.

Blemories - Memories in Blog Form.  Great read!

Blessed Life Atop a Cake Stand - Everything blog - kids, house, and great recipes!

Learning for Life - Lots of inspiration to get those kids outside!

Sunny Sweet Life - Clean, easy-to-read design and I just pinned an awesome wet felting tutorial.  Gonna have to make something soon....

Questions for my nominees:

1. What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?  Where do you hope for it to be in five years?

2. What is the best memory from your childhood?

3. Who inspires you?

4. What do you fear?

5. Your perfect day would include...?

6. If you could take a for fun class, either in college or through your community, what would you like to learn and why?

7. If you have kids, give one piece of advice for your readers.

8. skim milk, 1%, 2%, or whole?  Why?

9. Which sounds like more fun: sky diving or scuba diving?

10. Favorite weather?

11. Name one of your all time favorite blogs.  Why do you like it?

11 random things about me:

1. I was run over by a truck when I was four years old and fractured my collar bone and left leg.  I have epilepsy and the doctors believe it is related to that accident.

2. I love sushi. To celebrate the birth of each of our babies, my husband would run down the street and bring back sushi for dinner.  

3. I have loads of grey hair and they are mostly coming in in one spot on the left side of my forehead.  Weird.

4. I am choosing not to dye my hair.  We'll see how long I can go.

5. I like to warm my hands over the stove in the wintertime.

6. I love teaching, but I did not like being a teacher.  All that responsibility.  All those 18 pairs of eyes staring at me.  I am not a person who likes to be in charge.

7. I have a large birthmark on my right leg.  I've always thought it looked like a dinosaur.

8. At different points in my life I've been in gymnastics, jazz, tap-ballet, and modern dance classes.  I've had piano, violin and voice lessons.  I am not an expert in anything. 

9. I love walking in the woods.

10. I desperately want a fireplace, but it isn't happening.  I keep threatening to buy one of those cheesy electric ones, to my husband's utter dismay (don't worry, that's not happening either).  

11. I am shy and usually pretty quiet in large groups of people.     

Questions I am to answer:

1.  What is your favorite thing about your blog? I'm still trying to figure that part out, but right now, I'm really loving the art projects.  I can see this turning into an art-heavy blog before long.

2.  What cleaning chore do you hate more than the others? The bathroom, hands down.  Nasty.

3.  If you had to choose only 1 pair of shoes for 1 week, which would it be:  heels, flip flops, athletic shoes, boots, wedges, or flats? Flip flops.  I wear them everywhere.

4.  Do you prefer artwork or photographs on your walls? Usually artwork, but I do have some great photos of my family and I'm embracing that a little more these days.

5.  What book would you recommend right now to a stranger? Well...I'm not reading books much these days...

6.  Are you a morning person, or night owl? If I can drag myself out of bed, then I'm totally a morning person.  Once I'm awake (i.e. after my first cup of coffee), morning is my favorite part of the day.

7.  Name a music artist you are really digging right now. I am totally loving The Avett Brothers.  So, so good.  Go check them out.

8.  Name one trend you are tired of. Paper mache moose or dear heads and/or antlers on walls.  I think we've seen enough of those.  Seriously.

9.  What season do you enjoy the most?  BIG toss up between spring and fall. So many good things about both. At this time of year, though, I'd say spring.

10.  What one place would you travel to, right now, if you could go anywhere? Europe. Anywhere would be awesome. Yes, please.

11.  What is your favorite blog to follow (big or small)? There are advantages and disadvantages to both.  With big blogs, you get a lot of content and consistency, which is a plus, but I love the cozy feel of smaller blogs.  You might actually get a chance to communicate with the author and share ideas.  I like that.