I was having my usual nosey through my Facebook news feed when a post came up from Farmer Farthing about her being nominated for another award. I was quick to post my congratulations and remind her not to forget about me when she becomes famous, a comment she has been getting quite a bit apparently due to the success of a post she had featured on WordPress Freshly Pressed (if you haven’t read it yet I recommend taking a look…. I love you Three, Mummy). I asked what the award was and she told me it was called Leibster Award, she also said “I have to nominate 5 other bloggers… I might just nominate you missus”. My exact response to this was “ha ha yeah right, mine’s s#*t!”.
Anyway I forgot all about this until I woke up this morning to a message from her saying she had in fact nominated me. I honestly had no clue what the Liebster Award was, I’m very new to blogging and to be honest I just started it on a whim one day when Henry was down for a nap. I love cooking, making stuff, posting pictures on Instagram etc so it seemed like a good idea at the time and as another way to share all the random stuff I do. I never realised just how much time it would take to write a post which hardly anybody reads. But… I find it therapeutic. I’m not much of a writer, I wasn’t very good at school, I can’t spell, my grammar is terrible and I know people will shudder at my misuse of ‘their’ and ‘there’! Some days, I actually make up words as I’m talking and only after I’ve said them do I think… Mmm something not quite right there! (Or is it their? Ha just kidding!).
Anyway, enough rambling on! The Liebster Award is basically a nomination from a fellow blogger who appreciates and enjoys your writing. It is something you should pay forward and keep it going similar to a chain letter. I’ve done a bit of searching on the net and came across this blog post, as you can see she has done all the work for me and explains it in more detail so please have a read and thank you to Sopphesays. Thanks to Farmer Farthing for not only reading my blog but having the belief in me that I can actually knock up a post worthy to even be considered for an award. Here are the Terms and Conditions, so to speak:
“The Liebster Award”
1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.
2. Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”. (Note that the best way to do this is to save the image to your own computer and then upload it to your blog post.)
3. Answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.
4. Provide 11 random facts about yourself.
5. Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers. (Note that you can always ask the blog owner this since not all blogs display a widget that lets the readers know this information!)
6. Create a new list of questions for these bloggers to answer.
7. List these rules in your post (You can copy and paste from here.) Once you have written and published it, you then have to:
8. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)
Firstly, here are my 11 questions I need to answer…
1) Smells are very important to me, they can transport me through history to long forgotten times. What’s your favourite smell and why?
I would have to say that new born baby smell, a bit like talcum powder. This smell reminds me not only of being a child myself (getting dried and dressed by my Mum in front of the fire) but to a time when I was pregnant with Henry. I would sit in his room and look at all the bits I’d collected ready for his arrival, not much just a few toiletries, baby wipes and nappies. Whenever I opened his wardrobe I would get a blast of this gorgeous, cosy, ‘baby’ smell. It takes me back to that excited feeling I had in anticipation of becoming a new Mummy. And later, once he was home from the NICU, after a nice warm bath with all the Johnson and Johnson products I’d collected, I would just cuddle and nurse for hours. Ahhh heaven.
2) If you could step into anybody else’s shoes for a moment in time, who would you choose and why?
I would step into my mothers shoes when she was younger maybe 20 ish, so I could feel her just one more time. Get a glimpse of her as Mary and not just as my Mum. See what type of person she really was, what made her smile, laugh, cry, what foods she enjoyed, what did her voice sound like. It’s coming up to 14 years since she passed away and I feel I’m loosing her a little more every day as the years pass.
3) What is your guilty pleasure?
Dick Van Dyke. I love settling down with a brew to watch Diagnosis Murder and I feel all warm and happy inside when I randomly find one of Dick and Barry’s (his son) made for TV movies on the box. I’m lucky that a few of my bestest friends also share the DVD love, that’s our little slang name for Dick. We used to hold monthly dates at each others houses to watch back to back Diagnosis Murder and even had matching coasters for our desks at work. Well mine was at home due to Henry coming earlier than expected. Just to clear up I don’t fancy DVD, I just love his shows and films.
“Mine was the one on the top right featuring Dick and Barry”
4) Do you have any regrets in life?
Mmm, now I don’t really believe in regrets. Everything happens for a reason in my mind but if I really had to think it would be dropping out of college when I was 16. When I was younger I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. What I did know is that I wanted to really like to make a difference in the world and help people, so I chose Social Working. Firstly due to my lack of outstanding GCSE grades I had to complete a 2 year college course in Health & Social care, then I could go onto the 5 year University course I needed for Social Working. I was lucky enough to be accepted onto H&S Care at my local college but after a few months I just woke up one morning and decided I wanted to get a job. I wanted some money so I could go out with my friends and buy nice clothes. And I quit! Looking back now I probably should of stuck it out, I was a bit of an idiot and that course could of been the making of me getting an amazing fulfilling career. But, as I said everything happens for a reason.
5) What was the last film or book that truly touched your heart?
It’s been a long time since I’ve really sat down and watched a good film or read a book for that matter. The last book I can remember really touching me was Katie Piper’s ‘Beautiful’. If you haven’t read the story of this amazing women you must. She is an inspiration and truly is absolutely beautiful inside and out.
6) When was the last time you laughed until you cried and what was it about?
Mmm this is a hard one, if I’m totally honest I can’t remember. That’s really bad isn’t it! It’s telling me I need to get out more. I smile and laugh all day long but nothing gets me to the point of crying with laughter. I will make a point of blogging about it when it next happens though.
7) What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done in public?
Ok, I’m not a big drinker. I’m a total lightweight and do not drink very often at all. About 7 or so years ago one of my good friends came to mine to get ready before we went out to the sample the delights of the Bradford nightlife. We had two bottles of wine before we went out, didn’t eat much of the lovely Italian meal we were dished up and chose to drink even more. In fact I don’t even remember what we ordered, I just remember my friend shouting out “this is soooo good, I’d eat it even if it had pubes in it!”. Anyway, we went onto one of the nightclubs where I met my husband and a few of his friends. I felt sick, really sick! I just grabbed my hubby’s hand and took him outside and vomited all over his expensive shoes! Right outside the door to the club where everyone was queuing to get in. Cringe! Anyway, afterwards I felt soooo much better and continued the rest of the night.
8) What is the ‘soul’ to you?
Well this had me stumpt, it’s not something I’ve ever really thought about. I do think everyone has a ‘soul’. I find it hard to believe when someone passes they simply disappear into the ground or up in flames when they are buried or cremated. I would like to think that my lost loved ones are still here with us, watching and supporting us even though we can’t see them. This made me go back to a time when Henry was in the NICU. My brothers little girl, who was only around 4 years old at the time said on the night time when me and my hubby have to come home to rest and leave Henry on his own… Well he’s not actually on his own because her Grandma (our mother) goes to keep him company. To think of our baby all alone made my heart break but to think of him having his very own guardian angel sat at his side protecting him made it just a little bit easier to bare.
9) When and where was the last time you danced?
This morning, this afternoon. I dance every day around the living room, kitchen and bedrooms with Henry. He loves music, he loves to dance. Both of these things never fail to get him smiling. I’m not much of a dancer when I go out, which is pretty much never anyway. I don’t really have the moves. I feel awkward and uncomfortable, unless I’m drunk and then my moves obviously put Beonce to shame! Yeah right! But in front of my little Henry I couldn’t care less if I look like a div as long as he’s happy.
10) When you’re laid in bed on a night, what thoughts cross your mind?
Just random crap really. How much washing I have stacked up in my basket, what am I going to make for tea etc. If I’m traveling somewhere new the following day I will most likely be panicking which route to take and most importantly where I’m going to park (I don’t mind driving but can not park for toffee!). I also have those moments where I get annoyed at all the things I want to change in the house, what the future holds for my little family and just how lucky I am to get to spend all day with the cutest boy I’ve ever set eyes on!
11) What is your biggest pet peeve and why?
People who park in Parent and Child car park spaces when they don’t have a child with them. Infuriates me! I need space around my car to get my little boy out of his car seat. I’ve no problem parking right at the other side of the car park, I don’t need to be right next to the entrance I just need space! In fact most of the time I do park well away from any cars right at the far side of the car park anyway but I always find when I come out of the supermarket some idiot is parked right next to me! Why is that? Why are these people attracted to other cars?! Urghhh! Anyway, if you choose to park in a parent and child space with no child you are gonna p#*s of plenty of mums and dads who have to struggle with a child while trying not to dint or damage their own or somebody else’s car.
Phew, so that’s my questions over with. Now onto the next part, my 11 random facts.
1. I used to play the Trombone briefly when I was in middle school, I had to stop though because my arms were not long enough to meet the note where you stretch out that slidy thing.
2. I passed my driving test 2nd time. In fact I’m surprised I passed at all.
3. I got married in Gretna, Scotland. We didn’t want a massive wedding and only had 17 people, including me and the hubby.
4. My first job was working at a nursing home, I just use to dish out the breakfasts to the residents in their rooms, collect the dirty plates and cups, load the washing machine and set the dining tables ready for lunch. I worked with one of my bestest friends (who was actually my Maid of Honour at my Wedding) and we had a blast.
5. The best holiday I’ve ever been on was to the Maldives. This was for our Honeymoon. 2 weeks, All Inclusive in a 5* Island. We stayed in a Beach Bungalow. I have never tasted food like it, I have never experienced such beauty swimming in the sea with tropical fish underneath. The sea plane transfer we had from the Airport to the Island was unique, it deserves a separate post to give it justice.
“Vilu Reef in the Maldives. Breathtaking”
6. My hair is naturally curly and I HATE it. I hate it so much that I get it chemically straightened every 6 months.
7. We want to move from the UK to Malta, watch this space!
8. I have the urge to touch hot things. This is very dangerous and has got me into trouble in the past, I think it stems from an accident I had with a chip pan when I was 15. I now have to touch things to see if they are going to be hot enough to burn me if I was to accidentally touch them. That makes perfect sense doesn’t it? Yeah, it doesn’t to me either but I just can’t help it!
9. I don’t have a massive amount of friends. I have a select few (like 5 or 6) who I would class at my best friends. I’ve never been someone to have a huge group of mates to hang around with, I can be a bit quiet at times so it’s not that easy to make friends. Mmm. Anyway, what makes it a bit difficult is, non of my friends are really connected in anyway (some are work friends, some friends from school etc) so if I ever wanted a girly night out on the town with all my mates it would leave most of them in a pretty awkward position with people they have never met before.
10. I love to take pictures. I take pictures of everything all day long. Just check out my Instagram account (henrys_mummy) for evidence of this. Most of my pictures do tend to be of Henry though, he’s such a cutie I just can’t help it!
11. The film Watership Down makes me cry. I actually felt emotional just searching for images on google 😦
Ok, so just a few more things to go before I’ve completed the nomination. Now to decide which of my fellow bloggers I should nominate to do the same as me!
1. The Single Mum Diary
2. Yummy!
3. An Early Start
4. The World According to Tae
5. MikeWalsh13
Now listen here my 5 chosen bloggers, if you are happy to continue with your nomination you should go back to the beginning of this post and read the terms and conditions I posted. Do the same and complete your nomination for the Liebster Award, remembering to pay it forward! However, here are your personalised 11 questions you need to answer:
1. What’s your favourite song any why?
2. Where is your favourite holiday destination and why?
3. What is your earliest childhood memory?
4. If you had an invisible cloak for one day where would you go, what would you do and why?
5. What would your last meal be? (Ya know like the people on death row have to choose)
6. If a Genie could grant you 3 wishes what would they be and why? You can’t wish for more wishes, that’s cheating!
7. Why did you start blogging?
8. Do you believe in soul mates?
9. Do you believe everything happens for a reason?
10. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be and why?
11. If you were stuck on a Desert Island and could only take one thing what would it be and why?
I look forward to seeing who accepts this nomination and reading the posts!
Mummy to Henry 