My First Blog Award! Yay?

Earlier this week I was nominated for my first so-called blog award: the Liebster Award.  Being relatively new to this, I was unfamiliar with this specific one and had a lot of questions.  What is it?  Is it a scam?  Is it legit?  Do I win something?

After a little google research, I determined that it is more like a chain letter, although with good intentions.  Basically, you are supposed to answer a set of questions given to you by the person that nominated you and then nominate other colleagues for the award.  It is supposed to recognize newcomers to blogging with less than 3000 followers (or 200 depending on your source– as with chain letters, some details get fuzzy.)

I don’t like chain letters.  I remember when AOL first came out (was it 1995?), I was in 6th grade and these things were all the rage.  I knew I wasn’t going to have bad luck FOREVER if I didn’t pass it on, and I knew if I put $5 in an envelope and mailed it to the person that contacted me that I wasn’t going to get hundreds of dollars down the road from others like me.  So I made the decision back then not to participate in any of them.

I don’t think the Liebster Award is a scam.  There’s no asking or promising money.  No threats of death or bad luck (except for one website I found that warned of blogs being abandoned if they broke the chain.)

I know a lot of people are excited to receive this and see it as a way to get to know their fellow bloggers.  I definitely am honored that there are people that read my writing (really!) and think that it’s good enough to nominate for any kind of award– even if it’s one that thousands of others share.  I found a piece on the website Perfection Pending that perfectly (yes…I did that on purpose) sums up my feelings: Why I Don’t Like the Liebster Award. Please Don’t Hate Me. So, please don’t hate me either! 🙂

In compromise, I will answer the questions given by the blogger that nominated me.  I’ll leave out her name (unless she lets me know otherwise) to make sure I don’t offend or embarrass.  I don’t look down on anyone that does participate– it’s just not for me.  I am SO grateful for all of you who do take the time to stop by, like, share, comment, or let me know that you really connected with something I said– please keep it up!  And I will support my fellow bloggers by doing the same.

So here goes, just in case any of you ever wondered about the mom behind the screen:

1.   What first interested you about blogging?

I’ve loved to write since I could hold a pencil and I’ve always wanted to be a published author.  I couldn’t tell you how many storybooks written by me that I forced my younger siblings to listen to.  After I left my job last year, my mom encouraged me to blog to further develop my writing.

2.   If you could return to the age you started making decisions for yourself, what would you do differently?

I would save MORE money and invest in my retirement earlier.  I’ve always been a good saver, but I look back at some of the purchases I made that seemed so crucial and wish I had that money in the bank or an IRA instead!

3.   What blog post has interested you most in the past week?  Give them credit with a link in your answer.

See the link in my post above.  She expressed so eloquently what I was trying to say here.  

4.   What is your greatest accomplishment in your life or what do you still want to accomplish?

Is it cliche to say being a mom?  No– because it’s true!  I can’t think of anything that makes me more proud than when my girls do something amazing.

5.   What is your least favorite chore?

Folding laundry and hanging it back up.  I am forever behind.  That and scrubbing the tub.  Literally back-breaking work.  Ugh.

6.   Bag of potato chips or bag of chocolates?

Chocolate.  Always chocolate.

7.    Do you prefer texting or talking?

This is going to sound terrible, but texting.  If you have a simple question you can get just a simple answer.  I will readily admit I’m need to put more effort into calling my friends and family who live far away.  I actually love talking to them when we do.

8.   If you could meet anyone past or present who would that be?

Shaq.  I would rap for him.  His own songs of course.  No judgement please!

9.   Do you have any phobias?

I wouldn’t call it a phobia, but I strongly dislike balloons.  Gross.

10. Real plants or fake ones?

I love real plants!  I just have terrible luck keeping them alive. 😦

11. Do you prefer comedy, action, scary, or drama when it comes to movies and shows?

Comedy– life is stressful enough, so laughter is welcome.  And cheesy action movies– I also consider these also comedy.

And there you have it! Most likely the only set of questions like this I will answer, though if you ever want to know anything specific, just ask!  Hope you all have had a great weekend!