Liebster Award!!

This is my first award ever on my blog, and I am beyond excited as well as grateful for everyone who takes the time to read my posts. Thank you Jen for the nomination and the support in growing my blog!!

Jen’s Life and Style is a blog about motherhood, relationships, children, beauty, health and fitness. The first post I came across of Jen’s was titled Monday Motivation. It got me thinking twice about what my goals are when it comes to fitness, and making sure that my goals were actually achievable. Let’s be real, having unrealistic goals doesn’t do anybody any good. Also, who couldn’t use a little (or a lot) of motivation on a Monday?!?! If you’re not already a follower, use the links to go read what she’s all about!

Questions for me!

• 1. What do you enjoy most about blogging?
• • I’d have to say the people. The blogging community is so much larger and diverse than I ever imagined! I am learning new things and able to relate closely to at LEAST one post each time I hop on and do some reading.
• 2. When do you feel most motivated to write?
• • Hmmm… that’s a hard one. I often have ideas pop in to my head and I get excited to start a post, but sometimes when emotions are high, I start something and then can’t finish it at the time, so when I go back to it and I’m not feeling as intensely as I was, I end up deleting it. I don’t think there really is a specific time or thing, it’s whenever the mood strikes!
• 3. What are your favorite things to do when you have time?
• • Snuggle! Both my wife and my kids! Usually it doesn’t happen at the same time, but I love being close, warm, relaxed, and feeling the love. I also love to draw or color, and blog of course!
• 4. What is your favorite holiday?
• • I would have to say Valentine’s Day. It’s not so high maintenance (at least in my life), but it is still special. I love taking every opportunity I can get to let my wife know how much she is loved and appreciated.
• 5. Where would you love to travel to?
• • I have always said, give me hot sun, a beach and a pool, and a swim up bar, and I’m in! Don’t get me wrong, I will take that kind of vacation any day, but for as far as a place to really explore and experience a new culture, I can’t say I have a particular place in mind. I hope to be fortunate enough to take such a trip in my lifetime, and if I ever do, I’ll write all about it!
• 6. Do you want to blog full time or is it just a hobby?
• • I would mostly say just a hobby. Sometimes I have thoughts about becoming a full time writer, even though I have not the slightest idea about how that would work, but right now it’s something that I enjoy in my free time. I do not want it to ever turn in to something stressful.
• 7. Who motivates and inspires you the most?
• • My children and my wife. Hands down. That’s not to say, by far, that others aren’t inspiring and motivating, but when I think about the point in my life where I was at the lowest of lows, it was them who kept me going.
• 8. What is your favorite movie, tv show, or book?
• • Well, my favorite movie, no questions asked, Dirty Dancing! My favorite musical (which my wife introduced me to, and have only experienced a handful of) would have to be RENT. For as far as TV show, I would have to say Grey’s Anatomy. Pretty unoriginal I know, but it’s still my fave!
• 9. Favorite food?
• • I really am a food LOVER, so it’s very hard to pick just one. I wrote a paragraph once in 3rd grade (funny the things you remember) about what my favorite food was. I couldn’t pick just one, I had to write about 2 because I couldn’t choose! I wrote about pizza and bacon cheeseburgers. Those 2 things definitely rank high on my list, but it all depends what restaurant I’m at. Did I mention that I LOVE food? I could go on all night here! I’ll cut it off for now though, save the rest for another post.
• 10. Favorite drink?
• • This is another question that is hard to give a straight answer to. It really all depends what I am in the mood for. Water, Coffee, Tea, Wine, or Whiskey? I suppose it also depends on the time of day!
• 11. What do you see yourself doing in 10 years from now?
• • Well let’s see, in 10 years from now I will be 45 years old. Our children will be 26, 22, 18, and 16. YIKES! THAT’S SCARY!!!!! WHOA, we could be GRANDPARENTS! Okay, okay, let me reign it in here. In 10 years from now, I see myself still working for Wisconsin Early Autism Project, and having made many more accomplishments by then within my career. I see myself continuing to live a healthy lifestyle, and having full control over my mental illness in order to help others along the way.

11 Random Facts About ME!

1. I have participated in 3 Ragnar Races. This is a 200 mile relay race that goes for 2 days!

2. I’ve been married twice, first to a man, and now to a woman.

3. I used to HATE Ranch dressing, or pretty much any creamy type of dressing, but now I put ranch on almost everything!

4. I’ve spent a total of 8 years in college at 3 different schools.

5. I have 3 tattoos and 4 piercings.

6. I love to dance! (I didn’t say I was good at it!)

7. My favorite summer festival is Pride Fest, it makes my heart happy.

8. I’m a TERRIBLE secret keeper!

9. I’ve never learned to play an instrument but I LOVE the electric guitar and would love to learn to play if the opportunity ever arises.

10. Some day I hope to own a Cadillac, a brand spankin new one with whatever features I want to choose.

11. I hate winter weather!!

The rules for the Liebster Award are:

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 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 on 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. (Or however many they posted for you!)

4.Provide 11 random facts about yourself.

5. Nominate 5 to11 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!)

My Nominees Are:

BigAndPinkyToes

Teresa’s Big O

Dan Sims

Dream Walden

This Girls Got Curves

The Real Stories

Yarn and pencil

My 11 questions for you all are:

1. Do you have a favorite type of music?
2. What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
3. What is one thing on your bucket list? (Or more than one if you want to share!)
4. If you could have any job in the world what would it be? (Tempting to say none I know)
5. What is one food you would never eat, even if it was the last food on Earth?
6. Do you have a collection of any kind?
7. Did your parents ever say to you when you were a kid, “When you grow up and have your own house and your own money is when you can have/do (fill in the blank).
8. Do you have a “specialty” food item that you cook or bake? If you don’t cook or bake (or even if you do) what is your favorite home cooked meal.
9. If you could give everyone one beauty tip or self-care tip what would it be?
10. What would you say is your favorite thing in, or part of, Mother Nature?
11. Do you have a celebrity crush?

I’m excited to read all your answers!!!!

(And sorry it took me so long to get this post completed!)